It's All About You.
"So hold me close and say three words like you uuuuused to doooooo!" Charlie flung her arms around Smithy's neck and grinned as she snuggled up to him, ignoring the sniggers from the others.
Smithy grinned in response, looking down at her after replacing his half empty pint glass on the table. "Love you."
"Love you more." She grinned, looking up at Mickey as he pulled a face. "Piss off!" she pouted, throwing a beer mat at him.
Mickey grunted something incoherent as he raised his glass. "More." He whimpered, almost pathetically.
"You know where the bar is!" Cass looked up from beside him, hiccupping softly.
"Move." Matt Boyden's eyes shone with humour as he looked round at his colleagues, each in various states of drunkenness. "Before we make you buy a round."
"Now there's an idea!" Nick grinned, crossing his hands across his stomach. "Mine's a pint, Webbo."
"Same!"
"Same!"
"Vodka!" Charlie giggled, raising her glass.
"You've had enough." Smithy murmured, attempting to kiss her, giggling drunkenly as he missed her mouth and got her nose.
"Vodka!" Charlie repeated, as she pulled her head away from Smithy's, giggling loudly as he all but slumped across her lap.
Mickey turned into his seat, attempting to stand, pouting at Yvonne and Honey as they looked up from their conversation, grumbling at him. He fished in his pocket and pulled his wallet out, throwing it at Matt. "You go!"
Cass raised her eyebrows as she watched him, "Payday?" she slurred.
"Sold me car to Rod!" Mickey grinned almost wickedly.
"It breaks down after 10 miles…." Nick frowned thoughtfully.
"I know!" Mickey's grin grew. "But he don't!"
The small group chuckled, shaking their heads. "What about when he realises?"
"It didn't happen when I had it!" Mickey held his hands up. "He must have broken it."
Smithy snorted, not bothering to sit up. "He'll never fall for it."
"Rod Skase?" Nick grinned. "Course he will."
"Oi!" Charlie lightly batted Smithy's shoulder as Matt returned, carrying a tray of drinks over, before going back for another. "While you're down there…" she smirked.
"Do you mind!" Cass grumbled softly.
"No." Charlie chirruped happily, raising her glass. "Thank you!" she said as she downed it, standing up to go back to the bar.
"Oi!" Smithy half heartedly protested, falling forward as she stood up.
"I'll look after you." Nick grinned over his glass at him, smirking as Smithy blinked at him, quickly standing up, going over to Charlie.
Cass chuckled and shook her head. "One day he'll twat you." She smiled, kissing his cheek.
"He never could keep his hands off me." Nick smiled, wrapping his arm around Cass' shoulders.
"You really are the devil child." Charlie stood over Rebecca's cot, looking decidedly pale as she clutched her head, watching Rebecca now play happily, a complete contrast to how she'd been 5 minutes ago. "I did something really bad in my past life, didn't I"
"Ma!" Rebecca turned and looked up at her, giving her a large grin.
"Don't you 'Ma' me." Charlie yawned, looking back at the door, "You play with Teddy…."
"Teddy!" Rebecca immediately looked down, rooting through her covers. "TEDDY!"
Charlie winced, lifting the pillow up. "He's there!" She sighed and would have shaken her head if the room hadn't have been spinning enough.
Rebecca immediately pounced, pulling the teddy to her and hugged it tightly.
"You play nicely…" Charlie kissed her forehead. "Mummy's going back to die now…"
"Ma?" Rebecca blinked as Charlie walked towards the door.
"Night baby." She said, almost crawling back to the main bedroom as she slumped back against Smithy, pulling the duvet over her head. "Your turn next." She told his snoring figure as she rested her forehead against his shoulder.
She'd closed her eyes and managed to almost fall asleep before the sound of crying drifted back through to her. She sighed and sat up again, giving Smithy a quick dig in the ribs as she climbed out of bed.
"What!" Smithy woke with a start, blinking around, before groaning as the pain in his head kicked in.
"Don't let me bother you, Sarge." Charlie muttered darkly, trudging back to their daughters room.
"Where is he!" Rod pushed the door to the CID office open, glaring round, his gaze settling on Mickey's desk.
"Where's who?" Claire looked up, her eyes widening slightly as she took in the sight in front of her, biting her lip in a pathetic attempt not to laugh at Rod as he trembled, partly from cold, partly from anger.
"You…look a bit wet." Duncan chuckled, taking in Rod's form.
"Where's Webb?" Rod spat. "I'm gonna crucify the little tosser!"
"W-what happened?" Claire asked, her shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.
"That piece of scrap metal he sold me!" Rod carefully peeled his sodden leather jacket off, hanging it on the back of his chair, before pulling his spare comb from the top drawer of his desk where he kept all his essential styling products hidden under some folders. "Got as far as Trafford Way before breaking down. Taxi couldn't bloody get to me cos of an RTA in Askill Street…I've had to walk in the pouring rain from there to the station!"
"You should have said." John looked the picture of innocence as he looked up from his folder. "I'd have given you a lift!"
Rod's eyebrow raised and he looked at John. "Really?"
"No!" John snorted, his eyes twinkling. "You tried the bus?"
"There's the 32, will take you straight-" Claire stopped as the door slammed after Rod as he stomped towards the bathroom before finally laughing out loud. "You bastard, Boulton!" She smirked, turning her head to look at him, as he blinked innocently back.