Secrets

For Joodiff, my response to our challenge, enjoy, and merry christmas.

Boyd/Grace

I own nothing

It was late, very late, so late in fact, that when her computer alerted her to a new incoming email she almost jumped out of her skin. She knew who it was from, it was obvious, there was only one person that new where she was, and the only reason he knew where she was, was because he was sat in the office opposite her. She automatically stared into the office opposite to see him smiling back at her, not a happy smile, more of a mischievous grin. Grace opened the mail.

Boyd to Grace: I want you.

Was all it said, she hit reply.

Grace to Boyd: My mother always said those who want don't get.

Within seconds she had a reply.

Boyd to Grace: I don't want your mother; I want you, right now, right here on my desk.

She giggled and rested her forehead against the desk

Grace to Boyd: Behave yourself, I've nearly finished, then we can go home.

Boyd to Grace: I have this desire to sink my teeth into your neck and run my fingers through your hair.

Grace to Boyd: No.

Boyd to Grace: Spoil sport.

Boyd looked up from his desk as the door to his office opened, "you need to behave yourself."

"That's no fun Grace."

"Maybe not, but its more appropriate at our age."

"What do you mean our age? I'm not as old as you, cheeky mare."

"I know, you're my toy boy."

"Why do you always grin when you say that?"

"It gives my ego a boost."

"So why don't you come over here and give my ego a boost?"

"Because we're in work, and someone could walk in."

"It's nearly 2am, everyone has gone home except us."

Grace walked slowly towards his desk, almost like a lion stalking its prey, she walked around to where he was sat and then sat astride him, raising her arms around his neck and looking deep into his eyes before leaning forward and kissing him softly, a kiss so soft and gentle that her lips barely moved, and just the very tip of her tongue could be felt in his mouth. His hands skimmed lightly up her legs and then rested on her hips momentarily before moving around her back. His mouth pulled away from hers and began to kiss her neck, and suck on her earlobe.

"Let's have sex?" He whispered into her ear.

"When we get home." She responded.

"That sofas quite comfortable you know."

"So is my bed, a lot more comfortable in fact."

"Coward."

"Sex addict."

"I am not, I just fancy you like mad."

"Ahh, how sweet." She leant forward and started to kiss him again, this time a little more passionately. His mouth again moved to her neck, she could feel his teeth roughly grazing her skin. "If you leave a mark on my neck you'll be sorry."

"Why? What will you do? Will you beat me; we could get one of those canes."

"You are such a pervert."

"You say that as if it's a bad thing Grace, can I help it if you drive me crazy."

"What's me driving you crazy got to do with you wanting me to spank you."

"Absolutely nothing, you're right, as usual; maybe that's why I love you."

"What did you say?"

"I said you're right."

"No, you said something else, something you've never said before, at least not to me."

"What?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

Boyd looked a little sheepish, "I said I love you."

"And is that just one of those things you say, or do you mean it."

He looked deep into her eyes, an intense expression on his face, he hesitated for a moment, "I mean it, I love you, I have done for a while, I just didn't want to be the first one to say it."

"Why not?"

"In case you didn't say it back."

"Peter I've been in love with you for years, I just never said it because I didn't think you felt that way about me."

He grinned at her, "what a pair we are." He leant forward and once again pressed his lips hard against hers in a passionate embrace.

Frankie in the lab

"Fuck it, Fucking, fuck, fuck, fuck it." Frankie slammed her fists on the work surface and then sat on the lab stool looking despondent . "Arggggghhhhhhh, he's gonna blow his fucking top when he sees this, that's all I need." She yelled to herself, before throwing her lab coat in the used basket and walking out of the lab with her coat in hand.

She had no idea that anyone else was around at such a late hour, so when she saw the feint light coming from Boyd's office she decided to bite the bullet and give him the bad news now. She marched into the office loudly, "you are never going to believe this." She announced loudly as she walked in, before stopping dead in her tracks and staring at the sight before her. Grace was still sat astride Boyd their mouths locked together and their hands all over each other. "Oh Christ!" She seemed unable to move, and unable to take her eyes off them. "Shit, shit I'm so sorry." With that she walked back out of his office at high speed.

"Frankie wait, please?" Grace almost jumped off Boyd's lap and followed her down the corridor, "Frankie for god's sake will you stop."

Frankie eventually stopped, she didn't turn around, she just stopped. "Frankie it's not what it looks like."

"With all due respect Grace how the hell could that not be what it looked like, he had his hand inside your top and his tongue down your throat, I fail to see what else you could have been doing other than what it looked like."

"I don't mean it like that, I mean it's not a spur of the moment thing, a quickie in the office, we've been seeing each other…"

"This is really none of my business." She interrupted.

"I don't want you to misunderstand, it matters to me that you know the truth."

"So go on then, what is the truth, if it matters that much to you."

"Boyd and I have been seeing each other for some time; it started last Christmas, a simple kiss under the mistletoe after everyone had gone home turned into something more, now we're practically living together."

"You're practically living together and you've managed to keep it from the rest of us all this time."

"We felt it was important to keep it between just us, at first we had no idea where it was going so we never bothered to tell anyone, and the longer we kept it between just us the easier it became to keep it that way."

"So you're shagging Boyd?"

"So eloquently put Frankie, but in a word yes."

"Well at least someone's getting some, more than I can say for the rest of us."

"It's not just about sex."

"Oh let me guess, it's companionship, a warm body on a cold night."

"No Frankie, I'm in love with him, and he feels the same."

"This really is none of my business, goodnight Grace."

"It is your business; we want you to be happy for us, not like this."

"Then why the hell have you been lying to us for almost a year, we're a team Grace, more than that we're friends, almost bloody family, and the two most important members of that team have been deceiving us, how the hell is that supposed to make me feel."

"I don't know, but we needed to make sure it was what we wanted before we told anyone else."

"And its taken a year for you to discover that has it?"

"Yes…"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore, goodnight Grace." Frankie walked away before Grace could intervene.

Grace leant back against the wall, and was soon joined by Boyd, he slipped his hands around her waist and pulled her against him. "We'll sort it I promise, everything will be okay, you'll see."

Grace's Home

Back at Grace's home, she was already in bed by the time he'd got out of the shower, she was lying on her side,facing away from what had now become his side of her bed, she had hardly spoken since they'd left work.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Fine."

"You've hardly spoken since we got home from work."

"What do you expect after what happened."

"We can't undo what happened Grace, and you know, maybe it's for the best, they were bound to find out at some point."

"Then why the hell didn't we tell them six months ago, it's been almost a year Peter, she felt betrayed, and I completely understand why she felt that way."

"Because it was no one else's business but ours, we made that decision together remember?"

"I think we should take a break from seeing each other."

"What? Why?"

"Because we need to let things calm down, it's all got too serious."

"It's only Frankie; she'll be fine when she gets over the shock."

"No Peter, first she'll tell Mel and Spencer and anyone else, and then we'll be the laughing stock of the bloody met."

"This isn't about Frankie is it; this is because of what I said."

"What are you on about now?"

"I put my heart on the line, told you I loved you, and now you want to end things."

"I don't want to end things I just want to let the fuss blow over."

"Then front it out with me, not apart from me, they'll still talk regardless of our status. Stand with me, side by side, who gives a shit what anyone else thinks, I love you, and you said you love me."

"I do."

"Then lets stand together, okay." Grace gently nodded her head in agreement, and Boyd leant forward and kissed her softly, before pulling away, he stood up and let the towel that was wrapped around him drop away, much to Grace's amusement. "Now are you gonna finish what you started, or should I fetch that cane?"

Grace giggled as he slid in bed beside her.

The Following Morning

Frankie parked her car in the car park and turned off the engine, it was still early, but she was later than normal, after the previous evening she could have quite easily have pulled a sickie, but she knew she couldn't, not really. She was dreading bumping into either of them today, she didn't want to talk about it, at least not to them.

Her bad mood continued in the lab, slamming things down, biting people's heads off every time they spoke to her, the final straw came when Mel distracted her, causing her to drop what she was working on all over the floor. "Oh for fucks sake, cannot I not get any peace and quiet today."

"Bloody hell, what's up with you today?"

"Nothing, I'm just sick and tired of people in and out of here like it's Piccadilly circus."

"Okay chill out, I only asked."

"Oh god, I'm sorry Mel, just one of those days you know?"

"PMT?"

"No, nothing that simple."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I dunno, I'm not sure if its my secret to tell."

"Ooh, secrets eh, well now you've got to tell me, you can't leave me wondering."

Frankie let out a long sigh. "Last night I was working late, when I went to leave I heard a noise in Boyd's office, so I went to speak to him, and I….."

"You what?"

"I walked in on him and someone."

"What you mean him and someone were at it in his office?" She said a little abruptly.

"Not actually at it, but if I'd have been 15 minutes later I think they would have been."

"So who was he with? I bet it was that slapper off reception."

"No Mel, that's what makes it so much worse, it was Grace."

"What Boyd and Grace, no way, stop winding me up."

"I'm serious Mel; apparently it's been going on for almost a year."

"A YEAR, him and Grace have been seeing each other for a year."

"Calm down Mel. And I thought I over reacted, bloody hell."

"Do you know what, that makes my fucking blood boil?" Mel walked out of the lab, leaving a rather confused looking Frankie watching her as she stomped out.

Mel stormed straight into Boyd's office without knocking and slamming the door behind her.

"Can I help you DS Silver? I assume there is a reason for the way you have just stormed in here."

"Yeah there is a bloody reason; I thought you didn't do relationships with staff?"

"I gather you've spoken to Frankie then."

"Yeah I have, Grace? Really Grace?"

"Yes Grace! Not that it has anything to do with you or anyone else for that matter, but I happen to be in love with her and I have been for some time."

"So last year under the mistletoe, that was just a load of crap was it?"

"No it wasn't."

"So you don't do work relationships, apart from with her."

At that moment the door to the office opened again and Grace walked in. "Is everything okay, or am I interrupting something?"

"Yes actually you are interrupting something." Mel snapped at her.

"No you're not, and I'd like you to stay please." Boyd replied.

"Okay."

"Frankie has told Mel about last night, and Mel seems to have a problem with our relationship."

"Why Mel?"

"Oh just forget about it." Mel walked towards the door.

"No you damn well stop, you started this and now we're going to finish it." She stopped in her tracks. "Last Christmas eve Mel made a pass at me under the mistletoe, she gave me a quick peck, which was fine, but when she tried to kiss me again I turned her down, telling her that interwork relationships were a no no, is that about it Mel?" Mel didn't respond. "Now she feels that I have lied to her, when in actual fact I was trying to protect both you and her."

"Mel, Boyd and I were already involved; he didn't want to hurt your feelings."

"So it was okay to lie to me to protect you."

"No, but it was new, we didn't know where it was going and we didn't want anyone to know."

"So it was okay to make me feel like a fool?"

"You'd had a drink, I thought it was just the alcohol, I thought you'd be grateful I never mentioned it again."

"I felt stupid, like a love sick teenager with a crush on my teacher, and you made it so much worse."

"I am old enough to be your father."

"And that matters because?"

"Because it does, you deserve to be happy with someone your own age, not some aging jaded old fart like me."

"That's not the point."

"But it's the truth; even Grace has trouble putting up with me. You and I would never have happened, regardless of Grace."

"Really?" Her voice softened a little.

"Really!"

"Then I have made a fool of myself once again haven't I?"

"No Mel, its not a crime to be attracted to someone, age isn't a factor in who we fancy."

"I don't fancy him, I was drunk, I just don't like being turned down and made to look a fool." Mel walked out of the office and straight to the ladies toilets, followed by Grace.

"Are you okay?"

"I just feel stupid Grace; I guess my prides just a bit dented."

"That's understandable; no one likes being knocked back, especially for someone like me."

"Don't be silly Grace, you're gorgeous, I just feel a bit silly."

"There really is no need, we've all done it."

"I really was drunk Grace, truth is if he'd said yes I'd have regretted it like mad the next morning, I mean I know he's a pussycat and all that, but he's not for me."

"A pussycat he maybe Mel, but I guarantee you, he's a tiger when it counts."

"Grace!" She said in a shocked voice.

Fin

Challenge Requirements

Eve (or Frankie or Felix)) accidentally catches B/G snogging in the office out of hours and can't get her head round it, so she tells Mel/Stella/Kat/Sarah (delete as appropriate) who is immediately jealous (but in a funny way) of Grace. Bonus points for having Grace tell M/S/K/S that Boyd's a pussycat... but a tiger in the bedroom. No word limit upper or lower.