Nothing had prepared Sarah and Fleur at the sight the living room offered when they came home from a rather good womens's night in Brighton.
DCI John Baranby sat on the sofa, fast asleep with his daughter Betty sleeping against him, her head on his chest and his arm protectively around her. They were both covered by a blanket. In the other sofa was DS Jamie Winter, sitting upright and uncovered, but also fast asleep.
"At least he isn't snoring." Fleur whispered with mock annoyance.
Sarah chuckeled lightly. Her heart melted at the sight of father and daughter like that. Fleur's heart too, Sarah knew, but the pathologist would rather die than admitting it, she suspected.
At the other end of the couch, at Betty's feet, Paddy woke up and barked shortly.
"Hi, there." Sarah greeted the dog properly. "It's only us, buddy."
"Quite a guard dog you have." Fleur remarked, trying to tease Paddy.
"The best." Sarah answered with a quick glance at the dog who had stood up with his tail wagging.
Jamie stirred and opened his eyes. It took only a second for him to realise the situation.
"Damn, didn't mean to fall asleep." the DS murmerled.
"It's almost 1 a.m." said Fleur. "You should."
At that moment Betty woke up too as well. Her soft, sleepy voice asking: "Mum?"
"Yeah, honey. I'm here." Sarah crouched next to the couch and gave Betty a kiss on her forehead. "Sorry to wake you up, darling. why aren't you in bed?"
Fleur made a sound of mock disapproval.
"Couldn't sleep... Dad said I could stay with him."
"Untill he couldn't keep himself awake. I see." Sarah said, a bit to loudly.
Fleur said, not bothering to keep her voice low either: "Better wake him up too. His back will already be killing him."
Betty tapped her father lightly at his shoulder. "Wake up, Dad. Dad."
The light snoring stopped a moment but John didn't wake up.
"Dad!" Betty said now loudly and shook him at his shoulder which resulted in some grumbling and an annoyed "Betty. Bad girl."
Now aware her father was already awake but just being stubborn, Betty straightened her back and set her hands in her side, after her mothers example, ready to tell her father off, when Paddy stepped in. The dog simply walked over his master's body and started to lick him in his face.
The reaction was instant: a good shove.
"Paddy!"
The laughter was unanimous untill Betty started to yawn.
Sarah chuckeled. "You go to bed now, darling."
"Let's all go to bed properly." Fleur stated. The glance she threw at the men was answered with another yawn, this time from John.
"Come on, sleepy head." Sarah teased "Off to bed." She gave John a deep kiss before she turned to Jamie.
"Don't have a bed." Jamie said, a bit misschieviously, enjoying his chief to be the one ordered around.
"Oh, I'm sure that can be arranged." Sarah said after a glance at Fleur.
Jamie saw he would get no choice and so accepted the offer to stay with the Barnabys for the rest of the night.
