A/N: This is set 2 and a half years after 'Lies' and during Series 26 :)
"Be careful!" Hannah ordered for about the fifth time in as many minutes, drawing her oldest daughter into yet another tight hug.
As Ellie rolled her eyes and gently disentangled herself from the embrace, Hannah scooped up her youngest daughter, clamping three-year-old Caitlin tightly in place against her hip. On her other hip, she bounced Dylan, her two-year-old grandson.
"I'll be fine. What d'you think I did my training for?" She grinned and winked. "Besides, calling the Sergeant 'Mum' has to count for something, right?"
"You're joking, aren't you?" Jo asked, gulping down the last drop of her coffee and rushing around looking for her car keys. "If anything you're gonna have to work harder to prove yourself, sweetheart."
Groaning, the twenty-one-year-old jangled the woman's keys at her. She pressed final kisses to the foreheads of her mother, sister and son, before heading out to the waiting car. Jo rolled her eyes and copied Ellie's actions, closing the front door behind her.
Hannah moved to the living room and watched through the window as the car pulled out of the drive and disappeared down the street. Ever since Ellie had announced that she wanted to join the police force her mother had been dreading this moment; watching her head off to her first day on the beat. She had been slightly pacified when Jo had been promoted to Uniform Sergeant, but she knew the brunette too well to think she would allow her personal feelings to influence her professionally. Anyway, Ellie would never forgive either of them if she thought she was receiving preferential treatment, whatever she said.
Drawn out of her thoughts by a cry of 'Mummy!' from one side, accompanied by tugs on her sleeves and hair, Hannah turned and set both children down on the carpet. She watched for a moment as they raced away to play with their toys before moving to the foot of the stairs to hurry the boys up in getting ready for school.
"Han?" Freya appeared on the landing, yawning broadly and running one hand through her bedhead hair. "Have they gone?"
"Yeah." Her sister nodded. "About five minutes ago."
The blonde frowned. "I wanted to wish Els luck."
"Ah, well, you unemployed young people need to get up earlier." Hannah joked. The young woman had returned from University for the summer a month before and Hannah knew that Freya was looking for a job. It had been made difficult by the fact that she was often asked to look after her nieces, nephew and great-nephew when the others were at work. "Not that I'm complaining that you're unemployed; you're a cheaper source of childcare than Jasmine. They've only got another week and a half before the summer holidays, so make the most of your freedom, sweetheart!"
"Yeah… about that…" The blonde murmured, looking uncomfortable.
Her sister groaned. "Please don't complain about helping me out. I'm not asking you to babysit 24/7… just when we really need you to."
"No, it's not that… I…"
"Good." Hannah said firmly, turning away. "What d'you want for breakfast?"
Freya mumbled something about toast, before retreating to the bathroom for a shower. She let out a long breath, wondering how she was going to break her news to her sister and the others.
x-x
"So, what's it like living with the Sarge?" Kirsty demanded as she and Ellie walked slowly along the street.
The red-head shrugged. "What's it like living with your parents?"
"Irritating."
"Well, Jo's great… she's actually proper laid back about stuff. And she's brilliant with the kids." Ellie told her casually.
"It must have been weird, though?" Kirsty pressed her. "I mean, your Mum suddenly getting into a relationship with another woman and then you deciding to join the police and her girlfriend being your Sergeant?"
"I guess… but Mum's way better with Jo. She's so much happier than she ever was with any of her boyfriends. Jo's just… good for her. They couldn't stand each other when they first met; it took Mum nearly getting her head chopped off by some nutter during a case for them to realise that they had feelings for each other."
"Romantic." The blonde laughed.
Ellie raised her eyebrows. "Tell me about it. Mum tried to be all… casual… when she told us, but we already knew; it was so obvious. Well... you've seen them around each other. They're always like that. It's adorable but sick-making at the same time." She glanced sideways. "Nah, it's not Jo I'm not looking forward to working with."
"Your Mum?" Kirsty asked. "She's a laugh."
"Yeah, but she's still my Mum. This morning she would barely let me out of the house until Jo distracted her with something shiny."
Kirsty laughed and was about to say something, when there was a crackle and then a voice over both their radios. "All units from Sierra Oscar. Disturbance reported at 42, Shipley Avenue."
Ellie glanced at her colleague. "That's just round the corner. Sierra Oscar from 298; show us dealing." She grinned. "I've been looking forward to saying that."
They made their way quickly towards the address given and found the door already open. Shouting could be heard from inside and, cautiously, the two PCs headed through the hallway, looking for the source of the sounds. Kirsty was first into the kitchen. She racked her asp at the sight of a man waving a kitchen knife wildly around at the woman who was backed against the counters.
"Put the knife down." She ordered authoritively.
He whirled round, wide-eyed, at the sound of her voice, before escaping through the French doors and over the fence at the back of the garden. As Kirsty followed him outside, Ellie moved to stand in front of the traumatised woman, rubbing her upper arms gently.
"Sierra Oscar from 363; suspect leaving 42 Shipley Avenue along Trescott Lane, armed with a kitchen knife. IC1 male, late thirties, 6 foot, dark hair dressed in jeans and a red jacket." Kirsty shouted into her radio, jumping over the fence at the bottom of the garden and chasing him along the alley. "363 pursuing on foot; 298 still at the scene."
Back in the kitchen, Ellie heard her partner's words over the radio, but didn't think about them. Instead she concentrated on guiding the shaken women into one of the chairs at the kitchen table and making her a cup of tea. When she was settled, Ellie pulled out her notebook and began to question her.
"So, can you tell me your name, love?" She asked gently.
"Alice… Alice Parker." The woman replied shakily, clutching the mug in front of her tightly. From upstairs they both heard a quiet cry and Alice's head snapped up. "My baby…"
"I'll go." Ellie offered gently, laying a hand on her shoulder and standing up.
Navigating the stairs and checking several rooms off the landing, Ellie finally opened the correct door and saw a toddler standing in his cot crying. She smiled and scooped him out, bouncing him on her hip and stroking his cheeks gently to remove the tears that had collected there. Murmuring reassuringly, she carried him back downstairs and handed him over to his mother, who kissed his head in relief.
"He's gorgeous." Ellie said with a smile. "What's his name?"
"Toby." Alice told her with a smile. "He's almost four."
"My son, Dylan, is just two." The police officer told her cheerfully, reaching out and tickling Toby's tummy.
The woman looked incredulous. "You have a son? Well, I should have guessed; he doesn't usually like strangers."
"I am surrounded by kids at home; a two-year-old son, three and six-year-old sisters and an eleven-year-old brother."
"Wow…"
Ellie smiled at her. "Yep, our house is a bit crazy. So, are you going to tell me what happened this morning?"
Alice sighed and glanced down at her son. "It's all a bit of a blur…"
"That's alright," the PC told her, reaching out to squeeze her hand, "take your time."
"I'd just got home from taking my older children to school and I heard a noise. I… I took Toby upstairs out of the way and came back down. There was a man in the kitchen. I shouted at him and he grabbed a knife…"
"Did he say anything?"
"What d'you mean?" Alice demanded, narrowing her eyes slightly.
Ellie kept her face impassive, battling the feeling that there was something the woman wasn't telling her. "Did he make any demands; money or jewellery or anything? Did he threaten you in any way? Is anything missing?"
"No… I don't know!"
"OK. OK, it's alright."
Standing up abruptly, the woman moved to stand at the sink, staring out of the window. She clutched her son tightly to her. Ellie watched awkwardly, relieved when Kirsty appeared at the French doors, breathing heavily.
"I lost him on Bardwall Road, but Nate and Ben are following him in the area car." The blonde said breathlessly.
"Is there anyone we can call to sit with you, Alice?" Ellie asked gently, concerned about the woman's mood. "Your partner? A friend?"
"No." She snapped. "There's no one… thank you."