Author's note:- Episode based fun based on The Final Cut Series 3 episode 7/8. Small spoilers. Rated for language and sexual content (eventually). I own nothing sadly.

Interruptions 1/5

"So Mel. Chips?" Frankie smiled before turning toward Grace and Boyd. "Are you two coming?"

"Not me. I promise we'll have that curry soon Mel but my days of eating chips from the paper while walking around on a winter's night are gone." Grace smiled giving her colleague a hug as Boyd shook his head.

"No thanks I'm going to look at this background on the house but you two have fun and don't come into work in the morning with a hangover."

"Like we would?" Mel laughed as she and Frankie left and Grace moved into her office sitting behind her desk and switching on the computer. At that moment all he could think about was her comment earlier that it wasn't her business if he changed the team. In his eyes she led their team as much as he did. He was sure at times the others would all have walked away were it not for her ability to calm troubled waters when he screwed up. Normally he thought she knew how important she was to not just the team but to him too tonight though he wasn't sure. He knew she'd never truly understand why he hated the thought she'd ever doubt him. He could never tell her that. Professionally though it might be time to remind her.

"Boyd are you just going to stand there all night staring into space?" Grace laughed looking up at him from her desk the way the soft lamp light shone off the highlights in her hair taking his breath away.

"I wasn't staring into space I was staring at you. Forget work let's go for a drink. We need to talk."

"Ok, why do I suddenly feel very worried?"

"I don't know you're the psychologist."

"Maybe because I'm worried you may not want a new sergeant but there are plenty of other psychologists out there."

"None that can hold a candle to you Grace." Boyd smiled helping her on with her coat and waiting while she switched off the lamp. Placing his hand on the small of her back he led her out of the unit. "Leave the cars I'll get you back to the back end of nowhere later and I'll get Mel to pick you up in the morning."

"So I'm going to go for a walk on a winter's night anyway I'm just not getting the chips as compensation." Grace asked as they reached the outside of the station and he held his arm out for her to take. She had no idea what was going on but part of her didn't want to question it. She loved the moments they were alone more than she could ever admit to him and she took them where she could get them.

"If you really want chips I'll buy you some later I was thinking more of a nice bottle of wine, two glasses and a chance to catch up we haven't done that in too long."

"Umm ok but I'd at least like a bag of crisps or one glass of wine and I'll be anybodies."

"Anybodies?" Boyd asked catching her eye for a second as she took his arm.

"Forget to buy me the crisps and you'll find out."

"Sometimes I don't know when you're joking and when you're not Doctor Foley, you are a very confusing woman."

"All women confuse you Boyd unless they are 21 and only interested in sleeping with you."

"No they confuse me too I just choose to ignore that confusion." Boyd laughed meaning exactly what he had said. One minute he could swear she was flirting with him and might have feelings for him too the next she was joking about the women he slept with. He hated it when she spoke about men she'd been with. It had happened earlier that day when she'd talked about an ex and he'd had to cover the spike of jealousy by joking about tailoring. She seemed to be able to switch from teasing flirting to friendly disinterest in seconds.

"Yeah I figured as much. Boyd do we have to go here? Can we not go to the little place in the next street? This place is always full of coppers."

"I'm a copper."

"Yes but you're one of the few I like to socialise with. If we need to talk I'd rather not do it over the noise of CID or some other department celebrating their latest arrest."

"Ok, you're right it's a mad house in there at times. We'll go to the swan they might even still be serving food it's only 9:30."

"They might. You're really determined to make sure I eat something before I have any wine aren't you? Don't worry Boyd I'll not throw myself at you in a drunken stupor."

"I'd not complain if you did I'd just rather you were sober." Boyd replied as they reached the smaller more intimate pub and he realised he'd actually vocalised the words rather than just thinking them.

"Would you indeed? I think now you're teasing you better open that door and buy me a drink or I'm going home it's freezing out here." Grace laughed hoping it wasn't as obvious as it felt that she hated the fact he didn't mean what he was saying.

"So what exactly is it you need to talk to me about? It can't be the case we don't know enough about what we're dealing with yet." Grace asked having used the few moments he was at the bar to compose herself and try to forget about the exchange outside. She knew she was reading too much into it. Now she needed to focus on what it was he actually wanted and not let her imagination get away from her.

"This morning when I was telling you all we were getting a new sergeant..."

"That was cruel Boyd you had us really worried."

"It wasn't cruel it was fun. My point is that when I asked you if you were ok with it you said it wasn't any of your business." Boyd replied as the waitress came to the table and told them there was only soup and sandwiches at that time. "We'll have two soups. I'll have a BLT and she'll have a chicken mayo on granary. The chicken mixed with the mayo and plenty of it, oh and she'll have a little English mustard mixed with it too if you have it."

"Peter Boyd you didn't even ask me what I wanted how do you know I would have ordered that?"

"Would you have?"

"Well...yes ok I probably would but how did you know?" Grace asked her increasing confusion at the night's events making her first gulp of wine too big making her cough softly.

"I know because you're not the only one who notices what the people they care about like." Boyd smiled a little pleased that he'd managed to surprise her.

"Peter that's so sweet but you were so busy making sure my sandwich was right you forgot to tell her not to put butter on your BLT."

"Shit."

"Excuse me! Sorry can we make a change to that order?" Grace called as the young waitress moved back to their side and smiled. "No butter on the BLT."

"OK. You want anything on it? Mayo maybe instead?"

"No he hates that too. Just the bread, bacon, lettuce and tomato he's a fussy sod but what can you do?"

"I'm not fussy!" Boyd laughed as for a split second their eyes met and neither of them said anything. In that second he could almost allow himself to believe she was thinking the same thing he was. That she could feel the spark between them as strongly as he did.

"Yes you are." Grace smiled breaking eye contact in time she hoped to prevent him seeing the longing in her gaze. "So this morning. Yes I did say it wasn't my business. It's your team Boyd I'm only one part of it. If I'm honest I was surprised you hadn't at least brought it up with me but you're under no obligation to I'm just..."

"You're not "just" anything Grace. I would never make a decision like that about our team without discussing it with you. Our team..."

"Your team."

"No. Jesus Grace you just don't get it?" Boyd sighed as the food was brought to the table and they paused for a second to let the young waitress serve it up.

"I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be getting?" Grace replied "You have a cheek to call me confusing. You change your mind about my place in your team..."

"Our team Grace our team."

"Ok if it will make you happy our team...on an hourly basis sometimes. There are times when I genuinely feel like you have complete respect for what I say even if you don't agree with it. Then I can go into my office come out an hour later and you treat me like some sort of psychological performing monkey you call on when you want and ignore the rest of the time." Grace ranted surprising herself with the passion she could hear in her own voice. She'd not actually allowed herself to dwell on the shock she'd felt that morning when she thought he had decided to mess around with the team and she'd had no idea it was coming. She'd convinced herself she had no right to be annoyed, she was a consultant nothing else but now she realised how much it had hurt. "I never quite know where I stand with you Boyd and that's fine as I said what you do is none of my business but it doesn't stop it being extremely frustrating at times."

"Right for the record, listen to me Grace and actually hear what I'm saying to you it's very important." Boyd said firmly setting his spoon down and staring right at her. Something in the complete conviction with which she'd spoke and the fact she'd obviously been feeling that way on and off for a while was all it took to make him snap. He no longer cared about what he should or shouldn't say or what the consequences would be. He was going to make sure that even if he was being an idiot at work or making her feel like she was less than she was to him she'd remember what he said now and never doubt it again. "You are just as much the head of this team as I am. In fact I firmly believe there would be no team without you. I always care about what you have to say even if sometimes I'm being a dickhead when it comes to showing it. I wouldn't, I couldn't make any major changes without discussing it with you. You are way too important to me professionally...and personally. I meant it when I said you are the most confusing woman I've ever met but that's because sometimes I really think you feel the way I do and then other times I have no idea what you're thinking. How I feel about you would shock you if I ever had the courage to really tell you but I will say it's a lot more than professional respect and friendship."

"What is it then?" Grace asked aware that her voice was a barely audible whisper as he reached across the table and gently squeezed her hand.

"Do I really have to say it?"

"If you can't then I won't believe it. You've said more to me in the last five minutes than in all the time we've known each other. There's plenty I could say too but I can't believe what I think you are trying to say if I don't hear it from your own..."

"I'm in love with you Grace. There I said it. Now do you want to throw your soup at me and leave?"

"No. I'm hungry." Grace smiled "And I'm not wasting good wine either I think I might need it."

"You're doing it again, god woman can you not stop messing with my head for one minute?" Boyd said quietly as she refused to meet his eye for a second finally looking at him again. For the first time in all the years they'd worked together he was sure he could see exactly what she was thinking in their indigo depths.

"I love you too Peter. You really never worked that out? I always assumed you knew and ignored it. In fact I used to use that as an excuse for your behaviour. Like it was my fault because you knew how I felt and couldn't work out how to tell me it would never happen. Why do you think I was so upset this morning even though I was trying to pretend even to myself that I wasn't? You know if this wasn't so surreal it might actually be funny. What the hell have we been doing? We're not exactly love struck teenagers we're adults who are supposed to have enough sense to know better."

"I hope I never have too much sense to fall in love with someone as amazing as you."

"I didn't mean that. I meant why have we wasted so much time not just talking to each other."

"I know I was scared I couldn't live with the idea you'd hear me say it and be completely appalled and walk away." Boyd said quietly agreeing with her at that moment that there was something surreal about what was happening. As if on autopilot they'd both started eating again while they talked and in all the times he'd imagined telling her how he felt the moments afterward had never been so...civilised, that was the only word he could think of for it. He wanted to move to take her in his arms and kiss her but it was like a bubble had descended around them making it impossible.

"Umm. I was scared too. You know I never imagined it being over soup and sandwiches if I ever told you and I certainly didn't imagine I'd still be sitting here eating them when I knew you loved me too." Grace replied setting her spoon down and pushing her plate away.

"Should I add mind reading to you many talents? I was just thinking the same thing. In my head the moments after were always a lot more..."

"Explicit?"

"Yes that's a very good word for it."

"I thought you wouldn't..."

"I swear Grace if you say you didn't think I'd find you attractive I may actually ask the home office to refer you to one of their other psychologist for therapy. Look at yourself." Boyd said firmly abandoning his own food and moving around the small booth until he was beside her.

"I do every day I also look at the sort of women you've been with in the time I've known you. I could give most of them at least 30 years and..."

"You're so much more beautiful than any of them Grace. Stunning in fact. You drive me mad sometimes just sitting in your office while I watch you from mine. If you had any idea the things I've imagined us doing, imagined doing to you and have you do to me I probably would get that soup in my lap." He continued his lips close to her ear as he lowered his voice so only she could hear. "I love you more than I have ever loved a woman in my life and god I want you like I've never wanted any other woman too. Don't ever for a second doubt the affect you can have on me. Right now I wish I'd taken you home to have this conversation because if I had thought this was how it would end I wouldn't have wanted it to be in public. If you're not ready to make that step so quickly I'll wait until the end of time for you but don't ever think that's because I don't want you. I love you and if you let me I'll spend the rest of my life making sure you never doubt how fucking gorgeous you are again."

"You've really never seen it at all have you?" Grace replied taking her turn to whisper in his ear feeling what felt like actual sparks between them. "When I imagined this it was every bit as sensual, sexual and intense as I'm sure it was for you, maybe even more so. I've imagined you making love to me in every possible way Peter I thought you were glued to that side of the table."

"Never worry about that. I'm going to kiss you now. Normally I wouldn't go for such public displays of love but I don't think I can wait another second to do it. Is that going to be a problem?" Boyd asked waiting until she shook her head before gently caressing her lips with his, savouring the taste of her, the way she kissed him back, revelling in everything he thought their first kiss would be and more.

"Mel? Mel what's wrong?" Frankie asked looking at her friend as she seemed frozen stopping in midsentence while ordering their drinks.

"Grace and Boyd."

"Yeah I know they should be here but we'll all celebrate together soon and..."

"No." Mel continued turning Frankie in the direction she was looking as they both stared open mouthed at their colleagues.

"I bloody well knew it." Frankie whispered "They've been holding out on us."

"Yeah I'll say they have."

"That's really not nice we're supposed to be a team."

"Exactly."

"Really that warrants a little punishment don't you think?"

"Absolutely. I mean they obviously blew us out tonight because they wanted some alone time and if that kiss is anything to go by they were not planning on just having dinner." Mel replied with a mischievous smile.

"No and it looks like they are really ready to leave and get on with whatever they had planned." Frankie agreed as Grace and Boyd finally broke apart and Mel nodded. "It'd be a shame if something held them up wouldn't it?"

"A terrible shame." Mel agreed as they both walked toward the table seeing Boyd catch sight of them first but now have time to warn Grace as they reached the booth.

"I thought you two were going to work?" Frankie said with a broad smile giving no indication that they'd seen what had just happened between them.

"I convinced him he should buy me dinner, we realised we were starving and even if we didn't want chips we had to eat." Grace replied as Boyd watched her in amazement. It was almost as if the previous hour hadn't happened. Looking at her the girls would have no idea that only seconds before they had agreed to take things back to her place and prove that both their imaginings had nothing on what they would really be like together.

"Now we have though and it's getting late, you two enjoy your evening we'll see you tomorrow." He said trying to sounds as normal as she had she Mel firmly shook her head.

"No way. You've got loads of wine left it's supposed to be a celebration. You have to stay a little while." Mel smiled as she and Frankie slipped into the side of the booth Boyd had vacated and thanked the waiter who brought their drinks.

"A little while, we're not as young as you two." Grace conceded feeling Boyd tense beside her and reaching under the table to reassuringly squeeze his leg letting him know they'd waited this long another hour wasn't going to change the outcome of the night.