A/N: I don't own anything! This is the first story I've published in a hell of a long time, so it may be a bit crappy! Please drop me a review!
"Well Guy, I can't help it if I can't get a bloody baby sitter, I'm not having some unintelligent moron looking after my daughter. I don't care how important it is." Connie muttered into her phone, as she stirred her latte with a plastic coffee stirrer. She looked behind her, and saw Zoe observing the situation.
"Look, Connie, I really don't want to go to this do, and, Guy's said I don't have to go, so I can have Grace, if you'd like? You are clinical lead after all?" Zoe smiled politely, something she didn't do all that often.
"Would you? Just for an hour or so, I'm planning on making my speech and getting out of there? I hate all of the formality, and the ridiculous way we are supposed to all make Guy look good, sod everyone else." Connie shook her head in distaste, and followed the redhead heart doctor to one of the tables.
"Connie, it's fine - stay as long as you need. If it's easier, I can have Grace at yours, so she can go to bed and you won't have to wake her again if you are late?" Zoe suggested, remembering Grace from when Connie had no choice but to bring her in.
"Yeah, okay, thank you!" Connie smiled, surprised by the kind offer.
"It's okay, no trouble, honestly. I didn't know Grace was living with you? I thought she was in that boarding school?" Zoe asked, sipping her drink.
"Yes, she was, but she came back home, not all that long ago. About six months? She was kicked out!" Connie frowned, still angry about the circumstances in which her daughter was removed from the school. She remembered it well; still thankful for both Noel and Dixie for getting to the bottom of the problem.
*six months ago*
Connie pulled up into the hospital car park, the darkness lessened by the bright entrance lights and the glow of the bright orange street lamps, and turned around to the girl in the back seat.
"Grace, we're here. You're going to have to come in with me, come on." Connie sighed as she opened the back door of her car, and grace stepped out. Still in her uniform, Grace pulled her green jumper down, looking at the logo a little sadly. Her tie and blazer had been abandoned on the seat, but she kept the jumper on, and Connie was a little surprised, as it was hot in the car. Grabbing Connie's hand, she walked into the ED reception area, and was surprised at it's quietness. Only a few people waited on the seats, and there was a lack of the usual noise coming from resus and the cubicles. Noel noticed Connie first, and the little girl by her side.
"Mrs Beauchamp, wasn't expecting you here now? Is that Grace?" Noel said, making an effort to smile at the girl, although none of the team were feeling like smiling after Jeff's funeral.
"Yes, I've just come to get some files, I had some work to do this after noon, rather urgently, but Grace's school wanted me to come and get her, she's been expelled, but she won't tell me why. The school were no use either, they just said 'persistent behaviour issues', so I don't know." Connie ran a hand through her hair as she spoke, and asked Noel to keep an eye on grace for 20 minutes, while she got herself organised. Noel agreed, and Grace took a seat behind the desk next to him. She played with her hair, and as it was quiet Noel took the opportunity to ask her if she was okay.
"Grace, are you okay? Your mummy says you haven't been behaving at school?" Noel asked gently, and Grace nodded, he was good with children.
"Well, Miss Wright says I'm only there because my mummy doesn't want me, and that's true, because when she was supposed to come she didn't. I wanted to ring her, but Miss Wright took my phone away for punishment, but I don't know why, I didn't do anything wrong." Grace mumbled quietly, and Noel could see small tears forming in her eyes.
Grace asked Noel if she could go to the toilet, and he of course let her go. On the way to the toilet, she saw a dog, just outside of the door. Going through the door, she saw Dixie, who she didn't know.
Going cautiously through the door she smiled at Dixie, her dark plaits swinging as she moved across to the bench where she was sitting.
"Hello, can I stroke your doggy?"
"Yes, of course. What's your name sweetheart?" Dixie smiled through the tears building in her eyes, as the little girl crouched down by the bench.
"Grace, I'm Connie's daughter. She's come in for some paperwork, she left me with Noel who's really really nice but he's a bit sad. Everyone's a bit sad. Are you sad?" She asked, innocently. She was unaware of Jeff's funeral, or indeed dixie's relationship with him, as Connie decided it would be best not to worry her daughter.
"I'm a bit sad, yeah." Dixie replied, as fresh tears pooled in her already bloodshot eyes.
"Why y' sad?" Grace asked, her face filled with concern as she looked up at the paramedic.
"My best friend died, a while ago now, and it was his funeral today. I really really miss him." Dixie's voice broke on the last word, and Grace hugged the older woman.
"That's sad. I was a bit sad too, my school teacher said my mummy didn't love me and my daddy didn't either. She said that I was only there because neither of them wanted me, and I was a disappointment to my mum and dad. Is it true, do you think?"
Dixie shook her head fondly, smiling sadly at the little girl.
"Not at all, I know for a fact that your mummy loves you very much and she tells me all about the things your daddy says. Once, I thought my dad was going to be really disappointed, and for a little while he was - but when it mattered, when it really counted he was still there, he still loved me. So whatever it is you've supposedly done it's going to be okay."
*Present day*
Zoe smiled after hearing the basics of the story from Connie. Grace really was a lovely child, and the inexcusable behaviour was absolutely disgusting. Zoe liked Grace a great deal, and was looking forward to having her to stay.