author's note: read 39 first!

It seemed ironic to Billie that the place where she learnt the true value of surrounding herself with supportive women was while working for a men's football team. Those same women who would go to great lengths in order to mention her name in a room full of opportunities.

It might have been her own portfolio and her brother's influence that secured her the GQ shoot with Leah Williamson at the start of the season, but it was Keeley Jones who had personally requested for Billie Kent to be the photographer for her very own Vanity Fair shoot.

"I can't believe it's happening," Keeley sighed with a delighted smile, "The whole idea of it has got me going like...gaaah!"

"And when I got the email I kept going...gaaah!" Billie added, reminded of how she had woken up at Jamie's house two mornings ago, opened her emails to see the shoot schedule. Jamie was delighted for her, littering her face with kisses before insisting on taking her for dinner that evening. 

"Oh stop, you getting all...gaaah is just getting in the way of what you deserve, both of you," Rebecca assured the two young women.

"Are you making fun of me with my...gaaah?" Keeley replied as Billie's feet rested in her lap, the young Kent woman scrolling through Pinterest as she created her moodboard for the photoshoot.

"Of course not," Rebecca insisted, "It's just, you went...gaaah, and I thought I can't improve on that, I'm just going to have to replicate it."

"Oh, thank you," Keeley grinned.

"I've thanked Keeley so many times, she keeps telling me to be quiet," Billie smiled, "Although she gladly received the bouquet of sunflowers I had delivered to her house."

"They're you as a flower, babe," Keeley reminded her, "Could hardly turn them down."

"And I won't ever stop thanking you for asking to me to be your photographer on a Vanity fucking Fair shoot," Billie replied with a smile of delight.

"Who else would I want?" Keeley grinned, kissing her best friend's cheek, "I can't believe me and my best girl are doing this together."

Rebecca's gaze flitted from the two young women to her open office door as Ted strolled in, "Bing-bong, you ding-dongs."

"Ted," Rebecca grinned.

"Yeah?"

"Guess who is going to be featured in Vanity Fair's business issue as a powerful woman on the rise," Rebecca remarked proudly.

"I finally got it? This is incredible!" Ted exclaimed.

"Ted," Rebecca interjected, "Not you, Keeley."

"Oh, that makes more sense," Ted nodded, "Hey, congrats, Keeley, that's gonna be a Vanity Fair to remember."

"Oh, it's just an honour to be mad fit and successful," Keeley smiled, "And guess who's shooting me?"

"I thought you had the whole gun license thing locked down over here," Ted frowned.

"No, who's doing the photography," Rebecca nodded towards Billie.

"Oh, hey congrats, Sporty Spice," Ted smiled, "You'll kill it...figuratively."

"Blaaah!" The three women exclaimed in unison.

"So, ladies, I'm here to both give and receive," Ted told the women as he handed Rebecca her biscuit box, "Dr Sharon's last day is tomorrow, and we're all chipping in to get her something special."

"What did you decide on?" Rebecca asked.

"An envelope of cash," Ted nodded succinctly, "You know, I figured she already has all our deep, dark secrets...kinda tough to top that with a scented candle, you know?"

It felt kind of perfect that Dr Sharon's last day had arrived after Billie and Jamie had finally been honest with each other and reached what could best be described as the happiest either of them had been. She hadn't necessarily told them what to do, but helped them to see it for themselves, because a good therapist gives a person the tools they need to heal, a great therapist gives them the confidence to use them.

"Oh, great, whatever you've got," Ted nodded as Rebecca handed over a hefty wad of cash before Keeley parted ways with some scrunched up bank notes and loose coins, Billie having already given Ted her money the day before, "Yeah, it all spends the same...alright, appreciate you."

"Hello, people!" Higgins promptly entered the room.

"Higgins!" The group greeted him gleefully.

"I just received an email from Edwin Akufo, and he wants to speak with you, Rebecca," Higgins told the room.

"Okay, who is Edwin Akufo?" Rebecca remarked as Keeley began applying her lipstick.

"His father owns the largest tech firm in Ghana," Higgins explained.

"Wait a second, I thought I did," Ted joked.

"Until he died last month," Higgins added somberly.

"I apologise for my joke," Ted nodded.

"Edwin just inherited 1.2 billion pounds, and loves football," Higgins told Rebecca.

"And?"

"And...I think he wants to buy the club," Higgins confessed, Billie's eyebrows widened, while the lipstick Keeley was applying went awry and Rebecca was left speechless.

Billie was a nurturer by nature. Her therapy sessions with Sharon helped her understand that this was most likely to compensate for the lack of nurturing her parents provided during her childhood. She thought of the team as her brothers, and Will was an extension of that, her very best little brother. So when she would see him going about his daily tasks at work, no matter how mundane, she felt proud, and her day was always brightened by his sunny disposition.

The same sunny disposition that she noticed when she looked up from her laptop as she sat at Ted's desk, having just shown Beard the final cut of his 'Best Football Books I've Read' video, which made for interesting viewing.

"Hi, got the suit Ted bought you back from the dry cleaners," Will told Nate as he hung the freshly pressed suit over the office door, Billie was quick to notice that his sunny self was cloudier than usual.

"Oh, it's my suit," Nate snapped, frustrated by the notion that Ted might have bought it for him, no matter how truthful it was, "The second Ted gave it to me, ownership transferred, and it became my suit, Will."

"Right," Will muttered softly before leaving the office, feeling uncomfortable under the guise of such brutal confrontation.

Billie and Beard shared a look of concern, but before either could address it, Richmond's resident cloud of thunder had entered the office, "Oi, are my eyebrows crazy?" Roy furrowed his brows as he asked Nate an incredibly important question.

Nate looked at Beard and Billie for support, they simply stared at him blankly, Billie was concerned for Will.

"I've gotta do a photoshoot with Keeley tonight, and the photoshoot coordinator told me my eyebrows are crazy," Roy huffed.

"They're not crazy," Billie stood up, approaching her brother and leaning against the door frame between the main office and its extension, "They're just Kent eyebrows."

"You didn't tell this coordinator to say all this as your idea of a joke, did you?" Roy frowned at his sister.

"Of course not, they don't know you like your little sister does," Billie assured him, "Do what you want with your eyebrows, I'm a fucking magician with that camera, you could have no eyebrows and I'd make you look fucking great."

"Alright," Roy nodded in approval.

"I'll see you at practice," Billie patted her brother's shoulder before leaving the office in search of her favourite kitman.

Billie made her way across the hallway towards the boot room, gently knocking against the door and opening it to see Will sitting on the bench, faint music playing out of his phone as he tapped his fingers against his knees.

"You okay, kiddo?" Billie asked as she closed the door behind herself.

"Yeah, just listening to that playlist you made me," Will nodded, seeming uneasy, "Declan McKenna's great."

"You're great too, Will," Billie told him as she sat beside him, "Don't let anyone dull that sparkle, okay?"

"I just want to do a good job," Will admitted, having only spoken with his mother about the doubt that festered inside him as a result of Nate's jibes until that moment.

"Will, you're brilliant," Billie assured him, "I think you're the coolest kitman I know, and sometimes people take stuff out on other people because they're fighting their own demons, and that's not an excuse for that, it's a reason."

"So I'm not going mad?" Will replied, having feared that maybe he was imagining the way Nate had been treating him.

"No, you're not," Billie assured him, "And none of that stuff is a reflection of you, okay?"

"Alright," Will nodded.

"Now," Billie picked up Will's phone, skipping forward several tracks to Skip To The Good Bit by Rizzle Kicks, "Listen to that, be the sunny man I know you are, and do what you do best, okay?"

"Yeah," Will smiled, "Thank you, Billie."

"No problem, Kiddo," Billie assured him as she left the boot room.

"Billie," She looked over her shoulder to see Jamie, already dressed in his training kit, having driven Billie to work that morning before squeezing in an early morning workout, "Can I get your advice on some photos for me Instagram?"

"You want to talk about work?" Billie smirked, careful in her choice of words, due to the door to the coaches' office being open.

"Yeah," Jamie nodded, desperately wishing he could just hold her hand in public, "Your office?"

"Lead the way," Billie gestured towards the office which she shared with Keeley.

Jamie held the office door open for Billie, noticing that Keeley was nowhere to be seen as he closed the door, placing his hands on Billie's hips, guiding her backwards until her back was pressed to the closed door. He hungrily kissed her, despite being apart for only an hour since their shared car ride, he supposed it made up for the fact that he hadn't slept over the night before, having been at the gym with Colin and Isaac till late that he didn't want to disturb her.

"Where are they?" Billie muttered between kisses, "The photos?"

"There's no photos," Jamie smirked, "Just wanted to see you, just wanted to kiss you."

"I've got work to do, pretty boy," Billie placed her hands against his chest before slipping out of his embrace.

"Is Will okay?" Jamie asked as he watched Billie walk around to her desk, flicking through the various documents that had been placed on her desk for approval.

"Yeah, why?" Billie replied, aware that it wasn't for her to share Will's discomfort.

"He just didn't seem as happy as usual when I saw him," Jamie explained as he wandered to her side of the office.

Billie smiled fondly at Jamie, "I'm glad you care about him too," She sighed, "He's like a little brother to me."

"You're good with him, and good with kids," Jamie told her as he perched of the edge of her desk.

"He's nineteen," Billie smiled, "He'll be twenty in August."

"Alright, well I just mean in general then," Jamie grinned, threading his fingers through her belt loops and pulling her towards him so that she stood between his legs, "I don't know anyone with a heart as big as yours."

"We should throw Will a surprise party," Billie quickly suggested, proving Jamie's previous point as she stepped out of his embrace and grabbed a stack of sticky notes, "Maybe music icon themed."

"Do you ever stop working, Bils?" Jamie sighed as he stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

"It's not work, it's Will's birthday," Billie told him, as she slipped out of his embrace again, taking a seat in her desk chair, "Work is trying to concentrate on what I'm doing while you're in here, distracting me."

"Distracting you?" Jamie smirked, resting his hands on her shoulders before pressing a kiss to her neck, "How would I do that?"

"Jamie," Billie sighed, weakened by his touch.

"Love the way you say my name," Jamie muttered against her skin as he trailed kisses from her neck, down towards her collarbone, tugging gently at the blue and white pinstripe shirt she wore unbuttoned over a white vest.

"Jamie, someone could walk in," She laughed between words as his soft lips tickled her neck with every peck.

"Let them," Jamie continued, "Tryna show me girlfriend how proud I am...'cause she's fucking incredible."

"I love the way you say that word," Billie hummed with a smile.

It was in the queue for the Vampire ride at Chessington when Phoebe gave Jamie her blessing to be Billie's boyfriend. Jamie had offered to take Phoebe on the ride while Roy and Billie stocked up on snacks, and Phoebe said to him, "No one has ever made Auntie Billie as happy as you do, you can ask her to be your girlfriend." Jamie was touched by the unique gesture, having respected that he wouldn't ask the question until he had Phoebe's blessing.

It wasn't the toys Jamie won or the ice creams he bought that won Phoebe over, it was the smile he put on Billie's face. Phoebe had always been a smart kid, and she knew that anyone could give her treats and ice cream, but no man who had come before Jamie had made such an effort to fit into the Kents' unique dynamic. No man had adored Billie the way Jamie did.

"You're beautiful, you're talented, you're smart, I love you." Jamie mumbled against her skin.

"You're trouble, that's what you are," Billie exhaled under his touch.

"You wanna stay at mine tonight after your shoot?" Jamie hummed, "I'll cook for you."

"You'd cook for me?" Billie raised her eyebrows as Jamie continued plying kisses to her skin, "What did you have in mind?"

"You just focus on your photoshoot, I'll sort food," Jamie assured her, "I'm so proud of you."

"And you're distracting me," Billie sighed with a smile as Jamie began trailing kisses down towards her shoulder.

At the sound of the office door opening, Jamie sprung back from Billie's neck, hitting his head against the shelf that was nailed to the wall, "Fuck!"

"Billie, Jamie," Keeley smiled as she closed the door behind herself, more than aware of what she'd walked in on, delighted that the two of them had finally been honest with each other, "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I was just helping..." Jamie promptly answered as he patted the back of his head that was sore after whacking the shelf, "Helping Billie to plan a birthday party for Will."

"She knows, Jamie," Billie told him, noticing the familiar grin on the blonde woman's face.

"It's about time," Keeley grinned in delight as Billie confirmed her suspicions, "You two pining after each other for six months was getting boring."

"So, Roy didn't tell you?" Jamie frowned.

"Roy knows?" Keeley remarked, surprised that he wouldn't share such a revelation, assuming that he would want to rant about it.

"We've not really told anyone," Billie assured her, "He just sort of...found out."

Roy hadn't told Keeley, because it wasn't his news to share, and perhaps if it had been a year ago, Roy would've gone mad at the prospect of Billie dating Jamie Tartt. But seeing the man Jamie had become, and the way Billie was around him, he found it hard to be annoyed, and he was incredibly frustrated by the matter.

"So how long have you been...a thing?" Keeley quizzed them eagerly as she sat at her desk.

"Since Rebecca's Dad's funeral," Billie told her as Jamie placed a hand on the small of her back.

"You've kept it quiet for that long?" Keeley raised her eyebrows, impressed by their ability to be so secretive, despite the two women sharing a workspace.

"We just want to be us for as long as we can before the media catches on," Billie told her, and neither Keeley or Jamie required further explanation.

Everyone knew how public her relationship with Brad had been, and they knew how tough Billie had found the public speculation and opinion. She knew that it wasn't the reason that her relationship with Brad fell apart, that was Brad's doing. But she also knew that if she let public opinion control her, it could damage a relationship that she held incredibly sacred. Jamie knew that he would do whatever he could to protect her from that.

"Well, your secret's safe with me," Keeley grinned before she mimed zipping her lips.

"I should get ready for practice," Jamie told the two women before pulling Billie into his side and kissing the top of her head, "See you later."

"Not if I see you first," Billie smiled as she watched him walk out of the room.

"So?"

"What?" Billie smiled to herself.

"You and Jamie?" Keeley raised her eyebrows in delight, "I want details."

"He's my boyfriend."

"Oh my God, that's bloody incredible!" Keeley squealed, "I thought it was weird that you left the funeral early!"

"He told me he loves me at the funeral, I said it back," Billie explained, "And then the next day Phoebe and Roy came over, Pheebs asked if he was my boyfriend, and I said only once she'd given him her approval."

"So she did?"

"On our trip to Chessington," Billie nodded with a smile.

"Ah, I'm so proud of you!" Keeley grinned, hurrying around her desk and wrapping Billie in a hug.

"You're proud of me...for getting a boyfriend?" Billie frowned in confusion as the blonde woman clung onto her.

"I'm proud of you for admitting how you feel, I know that's a big deal for you," Keeley told her, "And I'm just so bloody happy for you!"

"I still say we should've gone with a One Direction song, I would've had these boys looking sharp if we'd done Best Song Ever," Billie told Beard as they watched the team marking their way through the dance routine, "I know the entire dance routine to that song."

"You, Jamie, Roy and Will were the only votes." Beard replied blankly.

"And that's why they're my best boys," Billie grinned as she watched her boyfriend focusing on mastering the moves, "And that's why I'm giving Colin the silent treatment."

"Because he voted for JLS?" Beard remarked.

"Exactly."

"They can't maintain their lines," Beard sighed in frustration, wondering if perhaps Billie was right, and they should've just let her lead a One Direction medley, "These guys just aren't in sync."

"It's okay," Ted attempted to provide reassurance to his fellow coaches before blowing his whistle, "Oh, hell no, no, hey! No, no, guys, come on, that ain't gonna cut it," Ted disputed the half hearted dance moves, "Y'all gotta be together on this, alright, it's like this, you may hate me, but it ain't no lie, yeah?" Ted instructed them, jumping on the spot, "Then the hands, bye, bye, bye, alright?"

The team frowned at each other in confusion.

"And watch my jumps, ain't no lie," He jumped again, "See how I'm jumping? Like I'm a marionette, that's why this song is on the album No Strings Attached, alright?"

The boys slowly nodded in unison.

"Yes, okay, good," Ted nodded, "Now, look, fellas, performing this at Doc's going away party ain't gonna mean Bo Jackson diddly squat unless she can tell how hard we worked on it, you know what I mean? It ain't the execution, that ain't the gift, it's the effort, yeah, okay, you see what I mean?"

Before Ted could continue with his critiques of the team's performance, he was interrupted by the sound of a siren, the team all looking up to see several Range Rovers, accompanied by a police escort, pulling up alongside the training pitch.

Like something out of a James Bond movie, a large helicopter appeared in the sky, coming in to land on the pitch, the word 'AKUFO' printed on the side of the chopper.

The team grouped together as they watched the aircraft land in awe.

"I knew they'd catch up with me eventually," Billie smirked as she stood beside Jamie.

"Eh?"

"Guilty as charged," Billie held her hands out, as though she had been handcuffed.

"Hey, babe, if you wanna talk about handcuffs-"

"Dude," Billie elbowed Jamie dramatically, "Not when the kids are here," She gestured towards the team, who weren't listening, "Not to mention, my brother."

"Did you just call me dude?" Jamie frowned as they watched two men exit the helicopter.

"I'm workshopping workplace safe nicknames," Billie explained, "I'll probably just stick with pretty boy."

"I like that one the most," Jamie muttered as the crowd of players parted to allow the two men in suits to pass through.

He wondered what the team might think if they knew about him and Billie, and how they'd react. He knew that they could be trusted, but he knew that what he and Billie had was precious, and he enjoyed it being something between just the two of them.

"My sincere apologies," One of the men approached Ted, "I was told your training would be finished by now."

"Oh, that's okay," Ted assured him, "Hakuna matata, right?"

"Oh, wow," Billie exhaled, resting her head on Jamie's shoulder.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Ted realised that his words hadn't landed so well, "That was kind of racist, wasn't it?"

"You know, Timon and Pumbaa are cartoons," The man replied, "So I'll let it slide."

"Hey, I appreciate you," Ted smiled eagerly, "So you must be Edwin Akufo, I'm Ted Lasso."

"I don't shake hands," Edwin told him, "But I have someone who does, Francis."

Francis stepped forward, shaking Ted's hand who seemed overcome with astonishment at the quality of the handshake, "Woah, that is one of the best handshakes I've ever hand shook right there," Ted remarked, "Firm yet comforting, you know, like a weighted blanket for my hand toes."

"Bet his hands aren't as good as yours," Billie whispered in Jamie's ear as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Watch it," Jamie smirked as Colin, who was standing on the other side of the group, observed the fleeting glances and more physical contact than usual between the two.

"So, I bet you're looking to chop it up with Miss Welton, yeah?" Ted remarked.

"If that's not impossible."

"Well, you say impossible, but all I hear is 'I'm possible,'" Ted replied as Edwin frowned, "Makes more sense written down."

"Okay."

"Right this way fellas," Ted gestured towards the clubhouse entrance before turning to Beard, "Take it from here?"

"If it's gotta be me," Beard nodded before Ted followed after the two men, "Okay, Greyhounds, now let's get in formation!"

"Come on, pretty boy," Billie patted Jamie's shoulder, "Wanna see those hips loose and those jumps big."

"Will, here we go!" Beard exclaimed as Billie stood beside him as the boys limbered up.

"Keep it tight, boys," Billie clapped her hands together, "Five, six, seven, eight."

"I don't wanna be a fool for you."

The boys began to dance with full enthusiasm as Will held up Billie's wireless speaker, swaying his hips to the music as Billie watched her boyfriend put all his energy into every dance move.

"Come on!" Beard nodded.

"I don't wanna be your fool."

"Keep it up," Beard attempted to motivate the team.

"But it ain't no lie."

Then came the jumps, as instructed by Ted.

"Bye, bye, bye."

The boys all dramatically hit their poses, catching their breaths as the music faded out.

"Coach," Billie rested an arm on Beard's shoulder, "What do you reckon? Are they going to Judges Houses or what?"

Beard glanced at Billie and then her arm, wordlessly prompting her to drop it before he calmly turned his attention to the team, "That was it!"

The boys cheered in rapture, stepping out of their poses as they celebrated as though they'd just won a Champions League final at Wembley, delighted to receive their coach's approval.

Colin and Bumbercatch completed an elaborate handshake, Dani jumped onto Zoreuax's back in jubilation and Jamie ran towards Billie, wrapping his arms around her waist, picking her up off the ground and spinning her round.

"Tartt!" Roy shouted, startling the group, "Put her down!"

"Yeah, sorry, Coach," Jamie muttered, placing Billie back on the ground before Isaac dramatically jumped onto his back.

"She's gone!" We're the words Ted had dramatically exclaimed as he burst into Billie's office where she was eating lunch some hours ago, before apologising for not knocking and then clarifying that he was in fact referring to Dr Sharon.

One of the many attributes Billie and Ted shared was their complex relationship with goodbyes, or rather the lack of them. Billie had struggled when Jamie left, but she got him back, so once Ted had explained that their favourite therapist was leaving town imminently, managing to avoid the surprise party, they both knew there was a place they needed to be.

"What if she's out all day?" Billie frowned as she and Ted stood outside the apartment block where Dr Sharon had been living throughout her time in Richmond.

"Then we wait," Ted told her, "I know you've got that photoshoot later, so I'm happy to take shifts."

"And if not, we can track her down," Billie replied firmly.

"God, I love you Kents when you get all fired up over a plan," Ted remarked.

"With a brother like mine, it's inevitable," Billie's smile dropped as they watched Dr Sharon approaching on her bike.

"Well, well, well," Ted folded his arms across his chest, "Look what the weird bike rode in."

"Ted, Billie," Sharon glanced between her two clients, "How long have you been standing out here?"

"A long time, and I really gotta use the john too, but I'm gonna hold it a bit longer, 'cause I'm so dang ticked off at you," Ted remarked.

Dr Sharon knew what goodbyes meant to the two unlikely friends, and she had addressed that in the letters she had penned for them both. But as she glanced between them both, it dawned on her that their feelings towards goodbyes extended to her departure too. Because Dr Sharon was more than a therapist, she was a confidant, an ally, and a friend.

"Would you like to come inside?"

Both Billie and Ted silently nodded, reaching an unspoken agreement that such conversation would be better had within the safety of four walls, rather than out in the open.

"I was right, it's a lot easier to navigate that hallway with this thing all folded up," Ted sighed, having carried Dr Sharon's bike for her, despite being annoyed at her.

"Thank you for carrying it up," Dr Sharon smiled.

"How could you just leave?" Ted suddenly retorted.

"I thought we agreed that the 'good cop, bad cop' thing was something we only do when the boys are in trouble," Billie muttered, "I think therapists are exempt...But yeah, why would you just leave us?"

Billie Kent liked being part of an 'us.'

"Sorry, I'm not good with goodbyes," Dr Sharon told them both.

"Well neither is Sam Smith, but they managed to make a great song about it," Billie remarked, joining Ted on the bad cop bench.

"Well, when I was a baby, I wasn't good at walking and talking, but I just stuck with it and look at me now," Ted huffed in frustration.

"Is this one of those 'final boss' things, like if we can deal with you leaving without a goodbye, then you've done your job properly?" Billie frowned as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Did you get my letter?"

"Yes."

"What letter?" Billie frowned.

"Oh, I knew I forgot something," Ted pulled two envelopes from his pocket, handing one to Billie, "And no, I didn't read it...we had a whole thing planned for you."

"I was teaching grown men how to dance till 2AM in Jamie's garden two nights ago," Billie added, "You know how hard that is?"

"Heck, we even got you a gift," Ted huffed, tossing the envelope onto the dining table, "Spoiler alert, it's a bunch of cash."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," Ted nodded.

"But, you both knew I was leaving," Sharon attempted to reason with the pair.

"I knew my brother was leaving on the 26th December every year, didn't make it any easier," Billie told the woman, "Even when you know something's going to hurt, it still fucking hurts."

"I thought I was gonna get a chance to say goodbye to you," Ted told her, "My wife left me, my dad left me, and you, more than anyone in the world, knows how I feel when I get abandoned and you just left."

"I wrote about that," She told them both, "Everything's in the letters I wrote you."

"I don't read letters," Billie replied, which was true to an extent, she didn't open post that came in brown envelopes with important looking font.

"You mean this?" Ted waved his envelope in the air before dramatically placing it on the table, "Guess what, we ain't gonna read your letters, ever, okay? You got something you want to say, say it to our faces."

"You made me believe I was worthy of love again." Billie told the woman, who she had yet to update on her personal life.

"I thought we had a breakthrough," Ted sighed, glad to hear that Billie had successfully battled whatever demons she had been facing.

"You did," Sharon sighed, "You confronted things you had-"

"No, no, no, not me, I'm talking about us," Ted told her, gesturing between him and her, before looking at Billie and pointing at her too, "Us."

Billie Kent was a good person, and all she ever wanted was a proper family, she had that at Richmond, she had that in Ted's belief and support.

"We did," Sharon nodded.

"Right."

"Thanks to you both, I've learned that expressing my vulnerabilities can help my patients with theirs," Sharon told them both, filled with the pride in their progress that she had penned in both of their letters, "You helped me become a better therapist...and that's saying something, because I was already fucking brilliant."

"You are annoyingly good at your job," Billie sighed.

"That's nice of you to say, Doc," Ted added, "And yet; you were gonna leave without saying any of that."

"It's all in the let-"

"It's all in the letter!" Ted exclaimed, picking up his envelope from the table, "Okay, fine, we'll read your stupid-ass letters."

"What the boss said," Billie nodded as she tore open her envelope, beginning to read the words that had been carefully chosen by her therapist.

"You spelt 'favourite' wrong," Ted huffed as he read his letter.

Dr Sharon watched as her two clients' faces changed with every word they read, truths of the people they were, and wisdom for the people they had become. Because no one was perfect, and everyone was a work in progress.

'The reason you hide away when you're struggling is because as a child you were left alone to deal with your emotions...You're not alone anymore.'

The letter touched Billie, in many different ways, be it humour or honesty, she felt comforted, especially when her eyes fell to the penultimate line of the letter.

'Your progress is your own liquid gold.'

It was a reference to their conversation about kintsugi some time ago, informing Billie that it wasn't the people she surrounded herself with, or the therapy sessions that had healed her. It was her own personal growth that had put her back together, piece by piece, creating an equally beautiful, yet unique person.

She then read the next line, smiling to herself as she looked up at Dr Sharon.

'You better invite me to the wedding.'

Billie's eyes welled up, not out of sadness, well not entirely, it was a bittersweet release, a realisation of healing, and the loss of the person who helped her get there.

"I feel more comfortable writing goodbye than saying it," Sharon confessed, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I understand," Ted slipped the letter back into his pocket.

"My train to Royston doesn't leave till midnight," Dr Sharon told them, "Wanna grab a drink?...I'm buying."

"Yeah, okay, that's be nice," Ted nodded, "But I really gotta pee first."

"Door to the left," Sharon gestured down the hallway.

"I'd join you for a drink, but I've got a shoot," Billie explained.

Dr Sharon looked at her watch and then back up at Billie, "In the evening? I thought training would be done by now."

"Oh, this isn't a football shoot, it's for Vanity Fair," Billie explained, feeling in the perfect mood for honesty, "And then my boyfriend's cooking me dinner."

"Oh, so, my advice paid off?" Dr Sharon smiled with delight.

"Yeah," Billie nodded, "He's the guy I've spent the whole season fighting my feelings over."

"And you're happy?"

"So happy," Billie smiled fondly.

"And Jamie treats you well?"

"Yeah, he-" Her voice trailed off as she noticed Sharon's knowing grin, "How did you know?"

"I know, Billie," Sharon sighed, "I've known from the moment you brought him into my office."

"Was it that obvious?"

"You clearly care about him, so much that you brought him to therapy, even when he hadn't asked for it," Sharon told her, "Because you know him, and you understand him."

The whole truth was that Jamie didn't stop at the one therapy session, he wanted to be a better man from the moment he sat in Dr Sharon's chair, for himself, and for Billie too, he wanted to be the kind of man she could trust, the kind of man she could love. Jamie also had less of a tendency to be tactile with his choice of words, meaning that Dr Sharon was promptly able to put the pieces together.

Her job may have been therapist, but there was a small part of her that felt a need to be a matchmaker, readying two individuals for a relationship they both truly wanted.

"You okay, Keels?" Billie smiled as she sat beside Keeley in her dressing room as the rest of the team remained downstairs, preparing the space for the part of the shoot Roy would be involved in, following various outfit changes and shots that had already occured.

"Yeah," Keeley nodded with a sweet smile, "Just nervous."

"You're killing it," Billie assured her, "You've done so many shoots before this one, you're absolutely brilliant."

"But those shoots were all about how I looked, not me, not really," Keeley admitted as she stared at her reflection in the mirror.

"Keeley Jones, you're incredible, and it's not the photos that matter, it's your words in that interview," Billie replied, "Think of all the little girls like Phoebe, and the young women like me when I was at university, seeing that there is a space for them at the table in an industry dominated by men...That's pretty fucking cool."

"Thank you," Keeley smiled, genuinely touched by the young woman's words, "You know I took Nate suit shopping earlier?"

"Yeah."

"He kissed me," Keeley told her, feeling a need to share the burden with someone who would understand, "Like it was quick, but it was fucking awkward."

"Are you okay with it?" Billie frowned, not at the notion of Nate abusing the trust of his fellow coach (because she knew that Nate wasn't a threat), but rather that he had overstepped, and assumed that a woman being courteous and generous with her time was an invitation for physical contact.

"It was a misunderstanding," Keeley sighed, "It was quick, and I'm not sure what he thought would happen, but I just needed to tell someone."

"I get that," Billie nodded, "Are you gonna tell Roy?"

"Yeah," Keeley smiled, "I think he should know."

"Okay, that's good," Billie replied, "I'm going to see how the setup's going downstairs, I'll shout for you when we're ready, or when my brother shows up, whichever comes first."

It was Roy that arrived first, albeit somewhat late, but that didn't matter, because the shoot setup had been ever so slightly delayed by Billie insisting that all her brother needed was the black suit the stylist had sourced for him, no makeup, no hairstyling, definitely no eyebrow plucking.

Which is how they ended up doing the 'at home with the boyfriend' part of the shoot, both Roy and Keeley posing on the couch, with Keeley leaning against her boyfriend, looking ever perfect in her hot pink ensemble. It wasn't just Keeley who benefited from having Billie as the shoot photographer, but also Roy, who felt more at ease, knowing that his little sister knew what he was and wasn't comfortable with.

"Great," Billie smiled as she continued snapping photos, glancing down at the shot list the coordinator had handed her, "They want one of you looking at each other next."

"Go on then," Keeley smiled as she and Roy turned to face each other, Billie snapped more photos, and she was happy with the lighting and general composition of the photos. She just wasn't sure the poses were quite right for Keeley and Roy, but she was there as the photographer, she didn't necessarily have much creative control, she liked the idea of being the person directing the creative vision.

"Can I get an 85, please?" Billie looked over her shoulder at the assistant the magazine had organised, who was scrolling on her phone, while Billie wished she could've bought Will instead, knowing how proactive he was on shoot days, "Switching lenses, will only be a second."

Billie made her way over to the kit station, looking up to see a look on Keeley's face that suggested she was telling Roy about Nate. She decided to leave Keeley and her brother to it as she swapped her lense before approaching the photoshoot coordinator, Steph, who was already reviewing the images on a monitor.

"Happy with what we've got so far?" Billie asked as she glanced at the screen displaying the previous images she'd taken of Keeley, both solo and with Roy.

"Yeah," Steph assured her, "When Keeley asked for you, I assumed it was just a favour for a friend, but you're bloody good."

"Oh, thank you," Billie smiled.

"Are you signed to an agency?" Steph asked.

"Oh, no," Billie shook her head, "I work for AFC Richmond, but I do freelance stuff on the side."

"Well, you should consider getting an agent and branching out into the freelance world," Steph insisted with intense optimism, "Talent like yours is wasted on footballers."

It wasn't something Billie had really considered, not yet at least, being a freelancer was the sort of thing she assumed would come later in life, once she'd built up a strong portfolio and network of contacts. Not to mention, she enjoyed working at Richmond, she loved it in fact, and being amongst the team was one of her most favourite parts of the job, she wasn't sure she was ready to give that up.

"Something smells good," Billie told Jamie with a smile of reassurance as he guided her into his house, heading for the kitchen where he had been hard at work cooking since returning home from training.

He chose not to disclose that it took two attempts of burning the dinner before he got it right, or that he spent thirty minutes on the phone to Higgins and his wife, asking for tips on how to cook the paella recipe that Mrs Higgins had given Billie because he knew how much she loved it. He knew that Billie wouldn't mind, if anything she'd find it endearing, knowing how much effort he'd gone to for her.

"Did you make paella?" Billie smiled as she laid eyes on the pan that sat on the stove.

"Mmhmm," Jamie hummed as he guided her through his kitchen and out through the bifolding doors, onto his garden decking where he'd set up a proper dinner table, with napkins, candles, and a bottle of Billie's favourite, Fruit Twist Fanta sitting in an ice bucket. He'd also put a blanket and one of his hoodies on the back of the chair, in case the cool spring evening breeze was too cold for Billie.

Billie's eyes welled up as she laid eyes on how much effort Jamie had gone to for her, because she had convinced herself she'd never experience a love like that. It was a beautiful display of love, from a man who would bring her the moon to see her smile.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Jamie soothed as he noticed a singular tear escaping Billie's eye.

"Nothing's wrong," Billie assured him as she wrapped her arms around his torso, "This is happy crying."

"Happy tears are good, right?" Jamie offered her a half smile as she gazed up at him.

"Yeah," Billie smiled as Jamie wiped a tear from her cheek, "I'm starting to think Ted was right about that whole rom-communism thing."

"Yeah?"

"Brad was the dark forest in my story," Billie told him, "And you're my happy ending."

"Ditto," Jamie grinned as he kissed the top of her head.

"Did you just uno reverse me, Tartt?" Billie smirked.

"Yeah, but you love it, Kent."

"You're right, I do," Billie smiled, "And if we were in a romcom, you'd be a man written by a woman."

"What do you mean?" Jamie replied.

"Your mother raised you well."

Those words were gold dust to Jamie, because all he ever wanted to be was his mother's son rather than his father's. Billie wasn't quite aware of how much of a weight those words had lifted off of Jamie's shoulders, sure, she had lightened the burden on their trip to the Tate Modern in the hours that followed their match at Wembley. But to hear her tell him that, the burden of being almost dissipated.

author's note: I LOVE WRITING LOVED UP JAMIE AND BILLIE SO MUCH, THEY MAKE MY HEART SO FULL

there are four chapters left of act two - two for episode 12 and two bonus chapters that i know you'll love!!