Disclaimer: I don't own 'Waking the Dead' or any of its characters, the BBC has that honour – I'm just taking them out to play for a bit.

Pairing: Boyd/Grace.

Rating: T.

Spoilers: Although not specific, this is set somewhere between S9 episodes, 'Harbinger' and 'Care'.

A/N: So, I needed to write something lighter and fluffier….This is my take on Sarah's thoughts when joining the Unit, and the questions she feels compelled to ask...

Sarah Cavendish tapped her pen in a haphazard rhythm against the pile of papers in front of her, blinking distractedly into the semi-darkness of the bullpen as she forced her weary gaze towards the clock on the wall. Jesus Christ, she winced as she noted the lateness of the hour and tried to stifle a reactive yawn, is this going to be par for the course then? I think I need to start seriously upping my coffee intake. Since joining the Cold Case Unit barely three weeks previously Sarah had already worked more late nights than in all of her previous guises put together and the notion that it was likely to become second nature caused her to smile grimly into the empty room; Peter Boyd's dedication to his work was legendary, as was his impatience with anyone in his team refusing to do the same, and so despite her irritation at having to work below a fellow Superintendent, Sarah had grit her teeth and burnt the midnight oil, battling with her own shame, her own guilt with every step she took.

They had solved the case with a successful arrest the day before and despite her intentions to spend the evening in dutiful completion of her paperwork, Sarah found her mind presently wandering idly to her new colleagues, taking stock of the initial impressions she had gleaned of each of them. They were a close-knit group, that much she had garnered from first introductions, but they seemed to genuinely welcome her input, each member outwardly professional despite, she knew, their general sense of confusion at her sudden and unexpected presence amongst them. Spencer Jordan had probably been the slowest to hide his consternation, she mused as she reached for the steaming coffee pot to refill her empty mug. His defensiveness regarding his inability to deny their boss was interesting, to say the least, his own admission that his relationship with Boyd was a complicated one amusing and concerning her in equal measure. Eve Lockhart was considerably more straightforward, though her employment status made that understandable; despite being the head of the Unit, Peter Boyd was technically not her superior and as such Eve had much more scope for circumvention of his will, compared to that of the lowly DI Jordan. Sarah sighed softly as her mind moved reluctantly on to the final member of the team. Grace Foley was almost impossible to read; warm and pleasant, the Doctor appeared to be the lynch pin holding the mismatched group together, but there was something else at work within the older woman that Sarah had yet to discern, something that nagged intently at her whenever she observed the interaction of the psychologist with Boyd. I just can't quite put my finger on it, she thought with a frown, pushing herself to a standing position before becoming aware of her unconscious, yet decisive, action. But maybe someone else can. Pouring another mug of coffee, Sarah crossed the bullpen and strode towards the closed doors of the lab, the ghostly light from within confirming the presence of its occupant, and she entered the air lock, shunning the usual convention of donning a white overcoat before activating the sterile sliding doors.

Eve Lockhart looked up from her work, her gloved hands stilling as she noted the identity of her visitor, and she raised her eyebrows, the arrival of her new colleague surprising her. "Hi, Sarah; don't you know what time it is?"

Sarah raised one of the mugs in greeting as she walked towards the scientist. "I thought you could use one of these."

"I most certainly could," Eve replied, smiling gratefully as she accepted the proffered gift, bringing the cup to her lips and taking a long, satisfying draw. "Now, seriously; what on earth are you still doing here?"

"I could ask you the same."

"These are normal hours for me, Sarah, believe it or not."

"And they're getting to be for me."

Eve raised an eyebrow. "Everything alright?"

Sarah shrugged evasively, leaning her elbows onto the cold metallic table of her colleague's workspace and taking a sip from her own drink. "Yeah, I was just…trying to get on with some paperwork, that's all and I…."

"At eleven o'clock at night?"

"It's quiet."

Realisation settled across the surface of Eve's chestnut eyes. "Ah; do I take it Boyd has finally left the building, then?"

Sarah gave a small sheepish smile. "About half an hour ago….Am I that obvious?"

"Just a tad."

Her smile broadened. "It's just easier to get things done when he's not breathing down my neck all the time; you know what he's like."

"I do. But from the look of you I'm guessing that's not the only reason you're still hanging around here so late in the day."

The Superintendent groaned. "The obvious thing again?"

"In that you've obviously got something on your mind, yeah."

Sarah shook her head incredulously at the pathologist's perceptiveness. "Christ, and here I thought Grace was the psychologist."

Eve grinned. "I guess it's rubbing off on me."

"Does she have that effect on everyone?"

"You're going to have to be more specific."

Sarah ran a hand roughly through her blond tresses and sighed heavily. "Alright; being honest?"

"Of course."

"I've been trying to get my head around the…team dynamics, for want of a better phrase."

Eve chuckled throatily. "Well, the best of luck with that."

"Seriously…."

"Seriously, good luck with it. I think the term 'misfits' has been applied to us on more than one occasion."

"It's not the team as a whole."

"Oh, no?"

Sarah sighed anew and dropped her gaze, aware that her colleague's defences were instinctively rising. "You've worked here a long time, right?"

Eve inclined her head. "Five years almost."

"Long enough to get a grip on certain undercurrents?"

"Do I need to repeat myself about specificity?"

Sarah took a breath, her eyes locking steadily with those of the scientist. "Alright, so tell me: what the hell is the deal with Boyd and Grace?"

Eve's expression was neutral and unwavering. "I don't know what you mean."

"Oh, come on…."

"No, really; what exactly are you asking me, Sarah?"

Sarah exhaled loudly with frustration. "I think you know, for God's sake; do we really need to go round in circles with this or should I just ring Spencer?"

Eve smiled lopsidedly. "I wouldn't recommend it."

"Right, so I'll ask you again…."

"Well, that's just the point; you didn't ask me anything I can give an answer to."

"Meaning you're closing ranks and you're not going to tell me."

"Meaning there's nothing to tell."

Sarah blew out an irritated breath. "You've got to be kidding me, Eve. I picked up on the weird vibe they give off within five minutes of watching them together."

"So, there's your answer, then."

"What? The deal is that they give off a weird vibe?" She rolled her eyes. "Please."

"I don't know what you want me to say, Sarah."

"I want you to help me understand what they're about. I'm trying to fit in in this Unit and I'm not sure I can do that until I've worked out who's playing what role."

Eve watched the younger woman for a long moment, observing the uncertainty that had settled about the slender lines of her shoulders, and she felt herself begin to relent. "Alright; why don't you tell me what you think and then we'll go from there?"

Sarah took a large pull from her mug before replying, trying to organise the jumbled myriad of her thoughts. "I think…that Grace has a lot of power over him, whether he knows it or not. I think she's hugely adept at getting him to defer to her. I think they have a scary ability to communicate without actually speaking…."

"All true."

"….and I think…that if they're not currently sleeping together then they certainly used to be at some point in the past."

"Ah, well…there you've reached the extent of my knowledge, I'm afraid."

"But you don't seem awfully surprised that I've gone there."

Eve shrugged. "The Met rumour mill is a powerful one."

"It's nothing I heard on the grapevine. Just three weeks spent observing the two of them and drawing a natural conclusion."

"Hmm."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Eve held up a palm. "Nothing."

"No, come on..."

"I don't know what the answer is, alright?"

"But you suspect the same thing as me, don't you? Because if you don't you're being awfully evasive for no reason."

The scientist sighed. "Look…in all the years I've known them, they've always behaved professionally, they've always conducted themselves purely as colleagues and certainly as nothing more than friends. Even if you are right, the bottom line is that whatever they're doing behind closed doors, it's not having any impact on how they function at work. So, ultimately, it's none of anyone's damn business but theirs; don't you think?"

Sarah levelled a steely gaze at her colleague. "You're telling me to back off."

"I'm…advising you to respect the status quo."

"Or else?"

Eve frowned. "It's not a threat, Sarah. I'm just trying to help you understand how things are…and how they should be allowed to continue."

"Because that's the way things have always been? Because you and Spence have been content to remain blissfully ignorant?"

The pathologist raised her chin slightly in defiance at the younger woman's critical tone. "It works for us; and if you're serious about wanting to fit in then it's something you're going to need to accept."

"Right; and sod the fact that one day it might seriously jeopardise a case or the integrity of this Unit?"

"I can't tell you any more than I already have. Frankly, if you want a more definitive answer, you're going to have to ask them; but I really wouldn't want to be within earshot for that particular conversation."

Sarah smiled darkly. "You think he'd shout me down?"

"I think he'd tell you to mind your own business, though maybe not in quite so many words."

"Justifiably?"

Eve shrugged lightly though her expressive eyes had hardened to flint. "I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to." The blonde woman barked a mirthless laugh, the scientist's loyalties abundantly clear. "I'll see you tomorrow, Eve."

With that, Sarah turned on her heel and stalked from the lab, leaving Eve to release a slow breath into the silence, deliberately counting to ten in an attempt to restore her equilibrium before picking up the telephone next to her and dialling the familiar number.

"Grace? Look, I'm sorry to call so late but I've just had a very interesting conversation with Sarah…."

TBC