Grace Under Fire.
Legal Stuff: - Characters not mine just temporarily borrowed from The Bill.
A/N: - Although I've written fan fic before this is my first attempt at the Bill so please be gentle with me. Since the show is heading to the great prison cell in the sky anyway then I think Neil and Grace should be allowed to ride off into the sunset together, make babies and live happy ever after too.
"You alright Grace" Terry Perkins asked his colleague gently.
"Wwwhy wouldn't I be?" She trembled "We got Mr Kapur's kidnappers didn't we?"
"Yes you got them …." He assured her noticing how fragile she seems so unlike the feisty, fiery tempered Grace they all knew and loved "…..Even if you nearly did get yourself killed in the process."
"I….I'm….." She started to shake violently tears trickling down her face.
"Come here Grace" Terry pulled her into a warm, brotherly type hug "Better?"
"A little…." She sniffled.
"Why don't we get you back to the nick the tea and biscuits are on me" He offered.
"Terry that's the best idea I've heard all day" Grace managed a small smile.
"I thought it might be" He chuckled as they walked off together.
Across the car park Neil Manson watched them leave together his attention firmly focused on the comforting arm Terry had wrapped around Grace, the white hot fury in the pit of his stomach at Terry's proximity to Grace like the urge he felt to break the offending arm growing stronger with every step away from him they took.
"So I was thinking someone should really go and pick up Mrs Kapur take her to the hospital to see her husband….." Someone suggested. …..Dale Smith was it? Truthfully he didn't really know or much care it all sounded like background noise to him anyway. All he cared about at this precise moment was DC Grace Dasari making sure she was unarmed and that it was Terry Perkins holding her when he wished with all his heart that it could be him.
"Yeah whatever…." Manson muttered shifting potions to watch Grace and Terry drive off.
"Whatever?" Smithy echoed back.
"I'm going back to the nick" Announced Manson "You can take care of everything here right?"
"No I can't there is still stuff to do here" Smithy fumed.
"I have faith in you" Manson shrugged and strolled over to his car.
"I'm deliriously happy for you DCI Manson but…." Smithy began.
"I'll see you back at Sunhill you can fill me in then" Manson climbed into his car and sped off after Grace and Terry.
"Ok so where did our fearless leader go?" Jo Masters appeared by Smithy's side.
"Terry took Grace back to Sunhill" Smithy replied.
"Ah that explains it" Jo rolled her eyes "I really wish those two would sort it out talk about star-crossed lovers sometimes I feel like I'm in a never-ending Twilight marathon."
"Me and you both" Smithy agreed wholeheartedly "You heard them arguing this morning I take it."
"Smithy I think they heard them back in Manchester" Jo grinned "Something has got to be done."
"Too right" Smithy nodded "If only for the sake of everybody else's sanity on the relief if nothing else."
"That's the spirit Smithy" Jo clapped him on his shoulders "It takes a brave boy to tackle Attila Manson on the rampage particularly if it evolves a certain DC Dasari."
"Who me? No fear" Smithy chuckled "Good job I know the right man for the job though aint it."
Two hours later Chief Superintendent Jack Meadows knocked on Neil Manson's office door "You in there Neil" He called out "I think we need a word don't you?"
"Yes Sir please come in" Manson replied, after returning to Sunhill he'd taken refuge in his office occasionally peeping through the blinds as he was now to check on Grace whilst she did her paperwork on the Kapur case. Terry, Mickey, Banksy and Stevie had been fussing over her all afternoon like an entire squadron of mother hens fetching her tea in that silly spotted mug she adored or collecting her documents from the printer. Normally Grace hated been treated like an invalid and made no secret of it but today she had sat back and let them do their worse; she'd had what was left of the stuffing knocked out of her with the Kapur case he supposed and as for the rest of the damage done to her well that was solely down to him wasn't it? "So noble Grace" His words from this morning echoed in ears making him cringe now, how could he have spoken to her like that? In fact how could he have been so stupid to have treated her so badly for the past few weeks at all? Jake's illness was no excuse and he knew it. When he'd made his little announcement come apology about Jake earlier he'd caught her dark eyes just for a second and he'd seen the pain in them, the pain he'd caused what was it Banksy had said a few weeks ago when he'd warned him about shutting Grace out? He'd said she would be gutted the look in her eyes told Manson that gutted didn't even come close to describing how she felt about him right now. That's what was killing him more than anything else knowing how badly he'd hurt the only other thing in the whole bloody universe he loved as much as his son. How was he ever going to put that right? Why should she ever want to speak to him again even?
"Penny for them" Jack Meadows asked him as he entered the office closing the door behind him.
"I don't think there worth that much" forlornly Manson turned to face his boss.
"I think we need to talk about what happened in that car park earlier don't we" Jack folded his arms across his chest.
"I know Grace could have been seriously hurt believe me I intend to deal with Max…." Manson began.
"Actually I meant your behaviour" Jack explained.
"My behaviour?" Manson was flabbergasted.
"Grace Dasari enough said?" Jack stated simply "Look it's not really any of my business but when the whole station knows that there is something going on between you two and it's beginning to affect how my nick works which means it's becoming a problem a problem I don't want or need when that happens it becomes my business so as both you friend and your boss I'm asking you to sort it out."
"There is nothing to sort out, there is absolutely nothing going on between DC Dasari and me at all" Manson huffed turning bright red.
"Yes I know that's your whole problem from the day she arrived here three years ago you've been making goo-goo eyes at each other your head over heels for her Neil…. either get a room or kill each other but do something before all hell breaks loose" Meadows insisted "I don't want to know which in fact if anyone asks this conversation never happened I'm your chief super not a relationship counsellor but if you can't or wont sort it then I will I know for a fact there desperate for a new DC in Aberdeen ….message understood DCI Manson?"
"Loud and clear" Manson concurred.
"Good" Jack turned to leave .
"She's too good for me Jack" Manson called after Meadows.
"Aren't they always" Jack replied.
Inside the ladies room Grace Dasari yawned tiredly as she splashed cold water on her face, her head was still spinning from the day she'd just endured not only had she nearly gotten herself killed she'd found out why Neil Manson had been so distant lately. Learning how ill Jake had been made her heart break for both father and son. Grace knew full well how much the guv loved his son sometimes she really believed Jake was the only thing he truly loved and she understood how much it must have hurt seeing Jake suffer like that but what she couldn't understand at all was why he hadn't told her the truth sooner. They had hit it off almost from the moment they had met Grace and Neil even though they had been the most unlikely of couples, the blunt northern working class bloke who had joined the police force at 18 making his way through the ranks starting with walking the beat as a PC and the oxford educated daughter of middle class parents who had graduated university with a first class degree and joined the met at DC level but never the less they had connected in some primordial if unexpected way. They would spend hours just happy in each other's company just talking about everything under the sun from Chopin to football or at least they used to. Grace had loved every minute of the time they had spent together and gradually she'd come to realize that she loved him too and always would "Stupid Grace…so stupid" she shook her head angrily. It was bad enough to fall for someone she worked with anyway but to fall for her boss that was the height of idiocy. Especially as the guv had made it perfectly clear that he didn't trust her professionally or personally and that he had no such feelings for her if she was being honest just recently she wondered miserably if Neil Manson had ever really liked her at all even just as a friend. Staring at her reflection in the mirror above the sink Grace sighed dispondently "Whatever are we going to do" She asked herself.
"Why are all men such morons" Jo Masters entered the ladies room in a huff.
"Do you want a list" Grace quipped but didn't turn around to face her friend.
"I would but we'd still be here at Christmas" Jo chortled watching Grace's shoulders shake but it wasn't with laughter but tears.
"Don't Grace. …don't cry like that" Jo touched her shoulder softy.
"I….I'm sorry it's just everything that happened today catching up with me I suppose" Grace turned around to face Jo.
"Neil Manson" Jo said simply.
"What about him?" Grace pulled a tissue from her pocket and began to dab at her eyes.
"Oh only everything" Jo chuckled "You really have it bad for him don't you?"
"I…I have no idea what you're talking about….."Grace denied all knowledge.
"If you say so but would it help at all to know that when Max refused to pull you out of the undercover opp this morning that the guv overrode his decision…. at one point I actually thought Manson was going to land one on Max I don't think I've ever seen him quite so angry or terrified" Jo revealed "From what I saw if anything had happened to you Max would be six feet under by now and the guv would be on a murder charge."
"Really?" Grace was astonished.
"Really, really Grace" Jo assured her "The man worships the ground you walk on don't you know that?"
"Are you sure we are talking about the same Neil Manson here?" Grace wondered "For the last few weeks he's done nothing but have a go at me."
"I never said the man wasn't a pratt did I?" grinned Jo "He's a bloke it's genetically programmed in to him and every other man on the planet to revert back to an eight year old every time he's around a woman he actually cares about."
"I don't know….." Grace remained unconvinced.
"Trust me Grace just talk to him, tell Manson how you feel about him" Jo advised "You'll see I'm right."
Twenty minutes later still deeply troubled Grace finished her shift for the day and left the building to collect her car when she got there she found Neil Manson leaning on the bonnet his hands in his pockets and a huge Cheshire cat type grin plastered all over his face.
"Hiya" He greeted her cheerfully.
"Hello" She replied warily "What are you doing here."
"Waiting for you I thought maybe we could go get something to eat….." He answered breezily "Just the two of us."
"I ….I don't think that is such a good idea do you" Grace told him.
"That's a no then I take it?" He grinned.
"That's pretty much the idea yes" Grace snapped.
"That's a shame …. A real shame" He informed her.
"So are you going to get out of my way then? It's been a long day and I'm tired" Grace demanded to know.
"Ah…..that would be a no too" He smirked.
"What do you mean no?" Grace was incensed.
"I mean no….I'm not moving and neither is this car till you agree to let me buy you dinner tonight" He chuckled.
"Fine I'll take the bus" Grace turned to leave.
"I know you're angry with me you have every right to be I've been a complete and utter…." He tried to find the right word.
"Pratt? Moron….." Grace listed helpfully "Dipstick, pranny….."
"Ok, ok I get the idea" He held his hands up in submission "I'm so sorry Grace for this morning, for the way I've behaved for the past few weeks for everything" Manson told her truthfully "I'll do whatever you want to prove that to you absolutely anything you want."
"Absolutely anything I want" Grace repeated his statement.
"Anything" He confirmed.
"Then tell me why you didn't tell me about Jake's illness right from the start" She told him her condition "Don't you trust me is that it? I know you don't think I'm any good at my job but I thought at least we were friends guv..."
"DC Dasari for the record I think you're the best copper I've ever met your kind and brave and so much smarter than me or anyone else around here and you genuinely care so much about what you do a little too much sometimes ….." He told her "I'd trust you with my son's life never mind my own" He stepped away from the car "I didn't tell you about Jake because I didn't want you to worry about us that's all and I knew you would non stop."
"I wouldn't have minded…..I could have helped" Grace argued "I care about you; you know that I always have but you obviously don't feel the same way about me."
"That's not true….." Manson retorted angrily "Why do you think I didn't want you to be part of Max's undercover opp today because I didn't trust DS Carter to keep you safe I was trying to protect you .I care too much about you, what happens to you and a DCI is not supposed to feel this way about one of his DC's he's not supposed to be in love with them."
"I love you too" Grace stated simply.
"Can I kiss you" He asked softly.
Smiling Grace answered him in another way she cupped his face in both hands and placed a warm, tender kiss on his lips.
"What a way to say yes" Neil mumbled as their lips parted.
"Would you have preferred a no?" She teased.
"C'mere DC Dasari" Manson pulled her into his arms then he covered her lips with his own deepening the kiss he savoured the taste of her, the scent of her perfume, how damn good it felt to have her close to him.
Nipping at his lips she broke away from him "Alright you win guv I'll have dinner with you" Grace conceded defeat.
"Neil….my name is Neil" He whispered planting a warm kiss on her forehead "Let's get out of here Grace."
"Absolutely" Grace nodded.
"I don't know what you said sir but it must have worked" Smithy told Jack Meadows as the two men watched Grace and Neil drive off together through Meadow's office window.
"I told DCI Manson I'd send Grace to Aberdeen" Meadows revealed as they turned away "I thought that might just be the motivation he needed."
"Aberdeen? Why what's in Aberdeen" Smithy asked.
"Nothing….absolutely nothing at all" Meadows guffawed "But Neil didn't know that did he?"
FINIS
A/N: So what did you think? All feedback greatly appreciated thank you.