For Joodiff, as suggested by Never Stop believing in love, in honour of lady Joodiff's bravery and courage. Don't worry, all will become clear.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except my imagination.
Story - Grace and Boyd, Post series 8 but no real spoilers, mainly fluff with a bad word or two.
For Love and Love Alone.
Grace woke to the feel of the bed moving, she lifted her head to see Boyd getting out of bed. "Where are you going?" Her voice was sleepy.
He stopped rubbing his eyes and glanced over his shoulder, a very serious expression on his face, without saying a word he leant over and kissed her, it wasn't a timid, gentle kiss, more of a full on snog with tongues. "I just need the bathroom; I'll be back in a second." He replied drawing his lips away from hers. "Don't move a muscle." He added kissing her again before he moved.
He walked across the room to the en-suite bathroom, the bright light causing him to blink in the glare. The hotel room was spacious and luxurious; the large round bath tub complete with Jacuzzi function an added bonus. It was the sort of hotel room that wouldn't have looked out of place on a Caribbean Island, but it was a long, long way from that.
He returned to the large king sized bed and slipped under the crisp white sheets, his hands instantly seeking out her waist, whilst his lips again sought hers. They kissed for a few minutes, before she again returned to the comfort of his arms, snuggling up to him in the hope of getting a couple more hours sleep. As she snuggled into him, he kissed the top of her head, "are you tired?" He asked her.
"Too tired for what you're thinking about."
"Ouch, you wound me Mrs Boyd."
"Doctor Boyd, if you don't mind." She replied with a hint of laughter in her voice.
"Are you going to change your name?" He said curiously.
"No."
"Why not? Isn't it one of the privileges of getting married, you taking my name?"
"In times gone by, maybe." She said through a yawn. "I need to keep my name for professional reasons; I'm a bit long in the tooth to start rebuilding my reputation."
"You don't need to rebuild it, just re label it."
"Same difference, you know what people are like, Doctor Grace Boyd, who's she?"
"You could be Doctor Grace Boyd-Foley?"
"Or, I could just stay as Doctor Grace Foley. Does it bother you?"
"No, not at all, I'm just winding you up, I love you no matter what name you use, what matters to me is the ring on your finger, the certificate in my jacket pocket, and the woman in my arms." He ended the sentence by again pressing his lips to hers.
"So you don't mind spending our honeymoon here then?"
"Well, I'm still not convinced about that, but a promise is a promise."
"So are you going to go through with it?"
"Are you?"
"Absolutely, no doubt about it, it will be a sense of achievement."
"What about you?"
"The jury's still out."
"We had an agreement Boyd."
"I will, okay, I will!"
"That's what I like to hear, a little positivity."
"Does that put me in the good books then?"
"Maybe."
"Do you like, wanna do it wiv me?" He said in his best teenage voice.
"I think maybe we should get some sleep."
"It's hardly a bloody marathon is it?"
"No, but we need to be mentally strong and fit and energetic."
"I want to be energetic now, and it is our honeymoon, please don't be mean to me." He rubbed the tip of his nose across her cheek and to her ear, biting gently on her earlobe when his lips reached it.
She turned her face to his and pecked him on the lips, "goodnight Peter."
"Huh, God I hate you." He replied, again in his Kevin the Teenager voice.
"Go to sleep before I ground you." She replied, trying not to laugh. He laughed with her and snuggled up with his arms around her waist.
-o0o-
The morning seemed to come round exceptionally quickly, and Boyd woke with a feeling of dread in his stomach, he rubbed his hand over his neatly trimmed goatee and sighed. "What the hell have I let myself in for?" He said to himself, or so he thought.
"Is my tough guy husband regretting agreeing to today's activity?"
"No, not at all, I'm fine with it."
"Sounds like it!"
"Doctor Grace Boyd-Foley, I love you, and when I say something I mean it, literally, admittedly this is a little more literal than normal, but I'm happy to go with it, if you are."
"Oh, I most definitely am, DSI Peter Foley-Boyd."
"Hah, touché Grace, touché. I'm going to have a shower, would you care to join me?"
"No, you go ahead; I'm going to grab a cup of tea first." He smiled at her and then left her alone whilst he went for his shower.
-o0o-
It was late afternoon when they arrived on Bournemouth seafront, it was a beautiful sandy beach, and they had already enjoyed a hand in hand stroll along the seafront. If it weren't for their age, no one would doubt that they were a loved up newly married couple, spending their honeymoon taking long leisurely walks on the beach, enjoying romantic meals in the evenings, and long lay-ins in the mornings. They went everywhere holding hands, and if they stopped to admire the view, his hands were instantly drawn to her waist, and if no one was looking his lips were usually drawn to her neck or lips. He was the first to admit he didn't feel comfortable with public displays of affection, but, with his new wife by his side, and in a town where he doubted he would see anyone he knew, he frequently gave into the urge to kiss or touch her. If they sat on a bench he would put his arm along the back and drape it lazily around her shoulders, if they sat at a table he would hold her hand on the table, or place it on her knee below the table, out of sight. Even Grace was surprised by his constant and totally out of character shows of affection, surprised but never put out.
Today, however, was different; today he had agreed to carry out a specific task, and all in the name of love, well love and charity, as they were also raising money for cancer research. The charity, for obvious reasons, very close to Grace's heart. It was a flippant remark made during his proposal that started it all, a remark that she took literally, and now, now he was going to keep his word, not for her, but with her, alongside her, in the ultimate demonstration of his love for her.
In the large marquee they sat with quite a few other people and listened to the rules and safety advice, and then to the instructions and training, Neuro Linguistic Programming, they called it, or the Psychological responses to extreme challenges. Boyd didn't care; to him it was all psychobabble that had no effect on him what so ever, but still he sat and listened, well listened as much as he could. Concentration had never been his strong point, but today, today he was on his honeymoon, and the woman he loved with all his heart was sat next to him, and every time he tried to pay attention, he would look at her, and become totally oblivious to everything around him. He heard no words, he saw no one else, only her, and for her he would do anything, for her and with her, anything was achievable, even this.
After an hour they were led outside, it was almost dark, and the fire had been lit on the beach, a crowd had gathered, friends and relatives of the other participants, and just general onlookers. He had to admit that he would have preferred to do it without the onlookers, but he knew it was all part and parcel of the event. As they approached the fire, she slipped her hand in his, "you ready?" she asked him, knowing full well he wasn't very good at the whole mind over matter thing, and that he probably wouldn't have concentrated very much during the seminar.
"Yeah, I'm fine, you okay, you ready for this?"
"Yeah I'm ready."
"Well here goes then."
"Bet you'll never say it again."
"What?"
"I bet you never again tell me that you'd happily walk over hot coals for me."
"Grace Foley-Boyd, I would happily walk over hot coals for you, anytime you like, as often as you like." As he said the last word the person in front of him moved and walked across the bright orange embers of the fire. He was next, shortly followed by Grace; he turned to her, bent down and kissed her, "this is for Love and love alone. I love you." With that he stepped onto the coals, a picture of calmness, peace and tranquillity.
"Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck"
The End