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After reassuring her partner that she was fine – though she suspected that the intelligent man wasn't much reassured by her response – Detective Serena Stevens snagged her mobile from her desk and found somewhere semi-private. Hitting speed dial number 1, she crossed her arms over her chest, eyes on the floor as she waited.

"Mum?" came the breathless voice over the line when the call was finally answered. "You need something?"

"You okay there Vivienne?" asked the detective cautiously immediately wary of her daughter's lack of breath.

"Fine," came the reply. "Just trying to get these bloody shoes on."

"Language," admonished Serena mildly. She swore that she could see her daughter flicking her long hair over her shoulder and rolling her eyes.

"Fine then," came the dramatic reply. "Trying to get these bothersome boots on. Better?" Both Stevens girls were smiling.

The conversation falling into a comfortable silence, Stevens Junior spoke first. "Ah Mum?" she prompted. "Not that I don't mind the call, but I'm going..."

"You know I love you Vi?" Serena interrupted earnestly. "And you can come to me with any problems you might have? You know that right?"

"What brought this on?" dodged the teenager with a laugh. "Did you have another crap case?"

"Something like that," replied the detective wryly, looking up at the roof as she let her daughter's language choice drop. This time. "You heading out?"

"Mm-hmm," confirmed Vivienne. "Movie."

"Home by 9."

"Mum!" protested the teenager. "I'm fifteen years old!"

"9:01pm then," amended Stevens, deadpan. "You know the rules."

There was a big huff as her fifteen-going-on-thirty-year-old daughter huffed. "Fine." There was a pause and rummage before the girl spoke again. "I gotta run. Mandi's Dad just rocked up."

Serena had been a little worried about moving her teen states, but her girl had taken to it with gusto and settled in easily. She smiled as she prepared to farewell her daughter, but her offspring got in first. "And Mum?"

"Yeah sweetheart?"

"Love you too."

The call ended there abruptly and Detective Serena Stevens felt slightly better as she returned to her desk to finalise her report and tie up the loose ends on this messy case.

Author's Note:

After that comment in the episode about how her daughter's room was tidier than the room at the Schuman Institute, my first thought was that Detective Stevens had a teenager and this oneshot came to mind. I stand to be corrected if/when we meet Stevens Junior in the show!

Finito.