Disclaimer: I don't own anything or anyone. They all belong to the BBC, I'm Just playing around with different ideas.
Rating: T
Contents: Fun, Humor, Friendship and maybe a little Romance
Pairings: not 100% sure yet mostly like Boyd/Grace and maybe Frankie/Spence
Notes: I've been wanting to write a Christmas fic for a few weeks now but the problem was I had a start but no middle and end .So as this story has been bugging me and I wanted a break from 'A Little Visitor Called Evie' I've decided to write the beginning and see where it leads if anywhere, could end up being a total disaster but we'll see .
Chapter one: Christmas Eve .
It was Christmas Eve and everything was now ready for her guests, who were arriving for the weekend. The country style house had been clean from top to bottom in preparation. The Christmas tree stood tall in her living room next to the fireplace decorated in red and gold baubles and the lights shone spectacularly.
The kitchen had been a hive of activity all afternoon, she had managed to slip away un-noticed to prepare for the weekend ahead. Looking over at the dining table Grace now felt satisfied with the work she'd done to make this year a special Christmas ,but now waiting for her guest she felt slightly nervous and wondered how she had managed to agree to this : ' Spence…' She thought.
Every year since the Cold Case Unit had started, the team had taken to celebrating Christmas together at Grace's for the weekend. they would all over-indulge In Grace's cooking and looking after them .They would all generally relax in the comfort of her warm home and Motherly atmosphere she created around her.
But since Mel's death and Frankie's departure, as if by some silent agreement the team had stopped going to Grace's for Christmas. It's just hadn't seem right without Mel or Frankie so the team had found other ways to celebrate, which was usually alone.
But this year the team had two new members in the form of Stella and Eve. As December began to creep up on the team Stella had asked one morning if the team had plans for Christmas or even a Christmas party.
It had been Spence who had jumped straight in to answer her questions .He had talked enthusiastically about how the team would gather at Grace's. From that moment on Spence had been the one to suggest, more like pushed the idea of going back to having Christmas with Grace. Spence informed Stella of how grace's house was always beautifully decorated ,how they all relaxed around the fire and how grace always managed to make it a truly fantastic time .
As grace thought back to it now Spence's main reason for sealing the deal had something to do with him missing mum's homemade cooking. Grace was still trying to get her head round that one as she now looked over to her dining table filled with nibbles, treats and drinks for the gang.
She smiled to herself remembering Spence and Boyd's eyes had lit up as they told Stella wicked stories of different event that had happen over the years, Stella had become totally fixated on the idea by the end of their convosation that November morning and grace had watch on intensely as she had knew what was coming next .
By the end of Spence and Stella's convosation, they had become excitable kids and made it there mission trying to get round Grace to give in and have the team round her house for Christmas, just like old times .It had only took three days of harassment from both Stella and Spence before Grace caved in and finally agreed. Boyd had thrown her a winning smile in agreement from his office door .That's why she now found herself stood in her farmhouse style kitchen pouring a large glass of wine, looking pleased at what she had achieved. She knew her guest would be here any minute and loved the thought of having her 'family' home again well what she called family.
Grace had laid on a light buffet for this evening with drinks and prepped all the vegetable for the next day, the turkey was now in the fridge and needed the last of the trimmings added later tonight .she thought to herself she could do that before bed and slowly left the kitchen to walk down to the living room checking everything was ready .She sat on the edge of her sofas wondering how the next few days would go. She carried on sipping her wine and enjoying the heat radiating from the open fire.
It was then the door bell rang, leaving her drink on the side she went to open the door and greet the first of her guests.
"Hi, Spence, Stella, come in." she said reaching out to them both enveloping them into a hug each as they stepped into the warm of Grace's hallway.
"Hi grace, you look gorgeous"
Well, thank you Spence, she said slightly flushed, smoothing down the long black dress that hugged her figure.
"Yeah it's really pretty" Stella commented.
"Thank you, now then are you going to stand there in my hall or are you coming in?"
"Defiantly coming in as something smell delicious" Spence said with a cheeky smile.
'Right well coats on the rack and any bags you want to take up stairs feel free, pop then in one of the spare rooms. Spence show Stella, she gestured to upstairs and I will pour you some drinks for when you come back down.
"Thanks grace, will be two minutes, Spence replied as he started to climb the stairs."
"Wow," Stella said behind Spence "when you said you stayed over I thought on the sofa or something not put up in bedrooms as well, grace house is gorgeous."
"I know, it's like coming home like back to the family home and there's a choice of four bedrooms, well three really excluding Grace's room. But wait till you try the food Stella you'll never want to leave."
"Is there anything Grace is not capable of?" eve smiled behind them
"Shit! "Spencer exclaimed whizzing round to face a smiling eve
"Hi guys!"
Bloody hell eve, where did you come from?
"I just got here grace said I would find you up here, Erm where do I put these." eve held up both hands one containing a bag of carefully wrapped presents and the other with her clothes for the weekend.
"We have just put or stuff in one room thought we could sort sleep arrangements out later" Stella pointed to the room containing their bags."
"Cool" eve said as she dropped the two bags on one of grace beds."Ready for that drink now?" she looked at the pair of them as they smiled
"Yeah come on, let's get down there and see what grace has been up too."
All three of them bounced down the stairs and went in search of grace, it wasn't long before they found her in the kitchen ,a glass of wine stood on the table for Stella while next to it two bottles of beer one for eve the other for Spence .
"You know us to well eve called over to grace as she picked up her drink, Are you ok over there?"
"Yeah just this door ...it...seems...to be sticking, where the hell is Boyd when you need him."
"Spence" Stella nudged him to help grace who was trying to open the French doors from her kitchen which opened up into her rather large living room.
"Come here" Spence said moving towards grace "let me."
"I haven't opened them in ages now this one wont budge" she pointed to one of the doors
"Spence pulled the door where a rather loud clicking noise was heard; there we go Spence said smiling just needed some muscle showing off his strength a little."
The girls just stood back and laughed at Spencer display in front of them showing off his arm muscles.
Where is Boyd? Eve asked as the laughter died down
"Said he had to pick up some things and would be round later , that's code for he has left his Christmas shopping to the last minute as usually." grace replied
The door bell rang."Maybe that's him, I'll get it, make yourselves at home grace called back down the hallway as she walked towards the front door."
"Hi, I was just about to send a search party out for you." grace stated to Boyd as he stood standing on her front door step taking in her beautiful figure."
With a cheeky grin he replied "no need I'm here now, just had to get something"
"Why do men leave there Christmas shopping to the last minute?"
"Who said anything about Christmas shopping?" his facial expression confused
"Well I thought, I thought you had gone out for presents what else would you be buying this late on Christmas Eve."
"Ah, well Dr Foley, I went to pick up a very special surprise?"
"Which was?"
Boyd pointed to his car parked on the drive.
"The car? What have you had done to it, it looks the same peter."
"Go and look inside"
Grace looked at him confused not sure at first if to make a move or not but slowly walked out onto her driveway towards Boyd's Audi. As Grace got closer the passenger door opened and grace recognized the person instantly, she began to run until they were in her arms.
"Oh, my god Frankie!" Grace greeted the young woman with a hug "I thought you couldn't make it."
"I…well I couldn't until Boyd offered to pick me up from where I was lecturing."
Grace turned and walked back to the house linking arms with Frankie
"You did this …that's why you went out so early." grace looked surprised at Boyd
"Yeah…I heard you on the phone; the other day in your office I knew you wanted everyone here so I persuaded Frankie that I would pick her and drive her down here."
"Oh, peter you never fail to surprised me. Thank you." she whispered as they all entered the house.
As soon as they entered the house laughter could be heard from the living room .grace, Frankie and Boyd entered:
"Frankie!" Spence was first to move enveloping her into a bear hug
"Easy Spence, I need to breathe remember" she said giggling
"Sorry, it's been so long, how are you?"
"I'm well thank you, busy as ever "
"Oh, Frankie this is Stella are knew D.C."Grace introduced them
"Hi," Frankie went over to her shaking her hand and then gave her a hug "I've heard a lot about you"
"Good I hope" Stella asked
"Of course .and you can tell me later what Spence has been getting up to." they both laughed
"And this is Eve, grace point out she our…,"
"Forensic scientist, I know, we worked together before, in a research lab a few years before I started with the unit actually .how are you eve?"
"I'm good thanks"
"So how did you end up with this lot Frankie bluntly pointed out?"
"It's a long story, but when the call came I had heard about how successful the team was and wanted to give it ago I've been with them ever since."
"I know the feeling, for some reason whatever you do, where ever you go, you never escape, and look I'm still coming back."
Spence walked back into the living room and announced more drinks, so everyone took and seat and began to catch up with one other .Spence and Frankie talked over old times and fed Stella and eve with lots of interesting stories from different cases they had work on.
Boyd had sat in the arm chair and watch over the three of them talking excitedly and laughing together .He smiled as they all gelled together so well.
Then grace called "foods ready "placing the last of the hot dishes onto the table. All four youngsters had jumped at that point , heading for the kitchen Boyd had never seen them move so fast as the hovered around the glorious food grace had made .Boyd followed behind ,placing his hand on the small of grace's back he leant in and playfully stated "you spoil them, you know."
She felt her stomach flip with butterflies, butterflies due to the lightest touch by Boyd but pushed them to the back of her mind.
"Well someone has too." She replied. "Now come on let's get some of that food before it all gone."
After eating and drinking way to much as usual the girls had stayed in the kitchen as they offered to help Grace dress the turkey for tomorrow's lunch. The Boys had wondered into the living room taking the beer crate with them and had started to play cards ,but after the fifth time of Spence loosing he had sworn never to play against Boyd again ,so the two of them settled for catching up with the footie they had missed because of work. So they now both sat stretch out on the sofa watching grace's T.V.
"Its gone quiet, do you think there alright?" Stella asked
"It means Spence has filed for defeat ,happens every time just not so early usually" Frankie said with a smile remembering back to every-time they played cards Spence would accuse Boyd of cheating, Boyd would of course protest it and then if the cards didn't get thrown all over the place, Spence would have a little sulk, trying to work out how Boyd had beaten him for the hundredth time, until grace would change the subject and move them onto something else.
After finishing up in the kitchen Stella, Eve and Frankie had gone up stairs to collect the gifts they had wrapped to be placed under the tree ready for tomorrow.
Eve laughed as they enter back into the living room to find Boyd and Spence fast asleep on grace's sofa together next to each other .they had been sitting next to each other but somehow Spence head now was resting on Boyd shoulder .Boyd's seem to be sleeping in a sitting position head against the back of the sofa and a packet of crisp that had obviously been in his hand were now slowly slipping due to his loose grip.
Stella and Frankie had followed looking at the sight before them .Frankie had been the one to collect the evidence taking out her camera and photographing the two of them.
"There we go girls; look at the happy couple, we can use this when we really need it."
Frankie showed the other two her handy work and they all fell about laughing ,which woke Boyd with a jump, making Spence hit his head and the crisps that had been in Boyd's hand ,had flew up with the sudden jump and the scattered over the carpet.
"Shit!" he declared sending the three girls into more giggles as he cleared up the discarded crisps.
"What's going on?" grace asked from the entrance as she watched Boyd pickup the last of the crisps.
"I don't know Grace, maybe you'd like to ask these three." he pointed in the direction of Stella, Frankie and Eve .Who were in fits of giggles by now.
Grace just looked over at the girls she knew they must be up to something, Stella was beetroot from laughing so much and eve was nearly crying.
"What is it? Have I got something stuck to my head?" Boyd asked them as he went to sit back down
"No…its better…than that!" Frankie said between laughing
"Grace what have you given these three? There like a bunch of teenagers!"
"Nothing Boyd"
"Umm to much of your red wine I think"
"No it's better than that look" Frankie handed grace the camera which showed Boyd and Spence asleep
"Oh, Boyd" grace said looking at him with a smile trying not to laugh
"What, give that thing here " Boyd when to grab the camera as grace darted into the kitchen and round the table, everyone followed.
"Grace, quick here" Frankie called for her to throw the camera, but Spence had been to quick picking Frankie up and playfully moving her out of the way.
Grace had stood behind the dining table as Boyd approached trying to find a way out Stella had gone to Frankie's rescue to stop Spence who was now tickling her ,eve was her only hope but she need to get past Boyd first .
"Come on grace, show me what you've hiding. "
Grace knew it was now or never he was so close, in arms reach of her she would have to play her best card to get out of this spot.
"Ok "she simply said making everyone else stop in the room and turn to her thinking they'd heard right
"Arrg, grace that's not fair "Frankie moaned
Grace just raised her eyebrow. Then a few seconds later she step forward. Boyd's and her own body nearly touching. she leant right into him and when on tiptoe to whisper in his ear .Boyd was already thrown off course by graces body that was nearly flush to his , camera forgotten he just wanted to hold grace but the others were watching .Then she whispered in his ear " I could show you what I'm hiding Boyd, but then again maybe It will wait till later." Boyd eyes shot wide, did he just here right. No Grace and he were just friends. Grace knew she was taking a risk but it had worked Boyd had frozen to the spot.
"Here, catch!" she threw the camera to eve, who had caught it.
"Got ya" she nudged him
As she had thrown the camera to eve Boyd had realized she'd played tactically, he should have known grace was always one step ahead.
"Grace…That's it!"Boyd yelled continuing the chase, as all hell let lose again Stella, Frankie and Eve ran screaming through into the hall and upstairs as Spence chased after them.
Grace went to move with them and she had taken two steps when Boyd arms had grabbed her round her middle.
She had gasped at the sudden closeness
He spun her round to face him and walked ever closer backing her up against the kitchen wall, they could hear the kids running up the stairs.
"Boyd ?"
"That was a dirty way to play ."
Boyd picked her up into a fireman's lift as she screamed to be put down, he walked into the living room lightly tapping her on the bum and then dropped her onto the sofa where her lent in close to her staring at her eyes "Two can play at that game." He leant ever closer testing the water, Grace tried to keep her breathing under control until it got the better of her
"alright, get off me and I'll tell you what's on the camera."
"Good" he smiled knowing the effect he had on her ,adjusting himself so he know sat next to her.
"Frankie's got …."
She was interrupted by Spence running in showing Boyd the incriminating evidence. Boyd looked at the picture
"Well I'm never falling asleep with you around Spence." Boyd laughed at what he saw no wonder the girl wanted to keep this."
A while later ,everyone had calmed down, the TV had gone back on and now Stella, Eve, Frankie all sat huddled on grace's sofa together while Spence took the arm chair leaving Boyd sat in the loveseat. Grace wandered back in after getting another drink and told Boyd to move up allowing room for her to sit down .This was not un-noticed by the team but they kept quiet, all thinking the same thing. when were they both going to see they should be in a relationship.
After watching some horror film the boys had chosen, Stella was sat cuddling one of Grace's cushions. Frankie and eve had been enthralled by the murders, full of blood and gore, Spence was looking kind of sick but that could have just been down to the amount he had eaten and Grace had edged ever closer to Boyd curling herself up next to him.
Frankie and eve not bothered by the film in the slightest had been the first to move declaring time for bed .Stella and eve had agreed to share the first room, leaving Frankie and Spence sharing the second at the front of the house and Boyd at the back of the house in the third room, which was opposite Grace's room.
Stella moved next practically running after Eve not wanting to be left alone .Then grace followed leaving the Spence and Boyd to chat.
Once Grace had changed into her night wear and wrapped her warm dressing gown around her she quickly carried the presents downstairs before the girls would see. On entering the living room Spence was just exiting "night grace."
"Night" she called as Spence passed her.
She found Boyd still in the same position "will you help me with these she pointed to two bags full of presents for the team."
"Yeah, pass a bag here .I'll start putting them under the tree." Boyd looked at the amount of presents when they had finished
"anyone would think we got a bunch of five year old upstairs with the amount that's under here."
"Well…. She sighed if you can't go all out on Christmas when can you."
"That sounded slightly defeated that tone grace."
"Umm"
She said coming to sit next to him
"What's wrong, something I said?" Boyd asked
"No, it's…..nothing its silly really."
"What is?" he asked now confused
"Mel" was all she said and all that was needed to be said
"I know" he replied rubbing her shoulder for comfort .They sat there for a while just watching the lights from the tree dance across the room.
"We will never forget her though." grace said quietly
"No of course not"
Boyd wrapped an arm round her "thank you."
"For what?" she asked
"This" he gestured to the present and food,"for letting us stay and the team come together again."
She smiled at that "you're welcome."
"Come on, bed" Boyd was the first to move.
"What, I'm not coming to bed with you, Grace looked at him shocked"
"Well I didn't expect you too." Boyd smile noticing he caught grace off guard, "but Gracie you may need some sleep ready for tomorrow."
"Oh, yes …well…" she blushed with embarrassment and noticed he used her pet name, which he hadn't used in years.
"Come on" he held out a hand to help her up.
"Thanks, I'll just lock up."
"If you give me the keys I'll do it for you"
"What so I don't have to listen to you checking the windows and doors when you think were all asleep."
"Grace"
"Here" she handed him the keys "night Boyd"
"Night, Grace"
Notes: to be continued...hope you have enjoyed so far thanks again to all the support i've had ,i will try and update soon .sar x
