Disclaimer: I do not own the copyright for Waking the dead or its characters – all rights belong to the BBC

Content: Boyd and Grace

Rating: K

Hey everyone. Okay so this is my first attempt at the new FB challenge, it wasn't what I originally intended on writing but it just kinda ended up this way! Anyway I hope you enjoy it. Thanks as always for taking time to read it! Have fun! xx

The gentle knock at her office door startled Grace.

"Hi" Boyd grinned sheepishly.

"Hi" she replied raising her eyebrows in anticipation.

"Erm, about before ….."

"Before as in when you were in the ladies toilets with Mel."

"Yes Grace that before …. There is a perfectly good explanation you know."

"Oh I have no doubt about that, I'm just not sure I want to hear it."

"Come on Grace ….." He continued while sitting heavily onto her visitors couch. "… you know we were working."

"Do you do much of your work in the ladies then Boyd?"

He rolled his eyes at her in way of reply sighing deeply.

"Anyway …" She continued "… you don't need to explain yourself to me, though I'm sure Greta is available if you want to go and vent yourself to her."

"Are you deliberately trying to be obtuse here Grace huh? I only came in to explain what Mel and I were doing in the bathroom and to …." His voice trailed off.

"And to what?"

"It doesn't matter ….. forget I said anything." He replied standing swiftly and making towards the door.

"No come on Boyd ….. and to what?" she answered, curiosity getting the better of her.

He stopped and turned to face her rubbing his hand roughly across his beard as he weighed up if he really wanted to get into this conversation.

"So …. " She prompted.

He leaned against the doorframe as he spoke. "Ahmm I was just going to ask you if you knew who wrote that stuff about me on the wall in there"

"What stuff?"

"Oh come on you know what I mean, the graffiti on the wall of the stall, who wrote it?"

"Which stall?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yea it does, it will help differentiate exactly which graffiti about you you're actually talking about."

"You mean there's more than one?" His dark eyes widened.

"Oh yea …"

"Great! So what I am the object of ridicule in the ladies loos now am I? Just frigging great!"

"Well some ridicule, some …. erm ….. let's just say a little more flattering."

He started to grin despite himself. "Flattering …really?"

"Oh I knew you'd perk up at that … guess there's no accounting for some peoples taste."

"So tell me, what does it say then?"

"I'm not stroking your ego Boyd." She answered flatly.

"But you'd like to wouldn't you?" He boyishly grinned.

"Oh grow up Boyd."

"Why? Obviously no one else around here has when they're writing crap about me on toilet walls!"

"So are you going to tell me exactly which piece of graffiti you are referring to, or are you going to leave me to get on?"

He held her gaze for a moment before continuing. "Erm well, it was something along the lines of … What does Boyd and sperm have incommon we both have a one-in-a-million chance of becoming a human being!."

Grace unsuccessfully tried not to let the snigger which threatened to overtake her reach her lips.

"It's not funny Grace." He remarked at her failed attempt.

"No, no you're right." She replied trying to control herself.

"Is that seriously how I am perceived by the team? I mean, not that I care that much, but I do think it's a little unfair."

"Look you know as well as I do that it was probably written by someone who just was having a bad day. Chances are you tore a strip of them at some point and they took their frustrations out on the wall."

"Could be anyone who wrote it then based on that criteria."

"Yea well, you will go around shouting the odds at people."

"I'm the boss Grace, it's my job. Doesn't make me any less of a human being does it?"

"No, and I'm not saying that. Just sometimes you can be a little …overbearing."

"What? I know I work the team hard, but that's how we get results, you know that."

"Yes I do, but are you denying that most of the time people don't want to approach you just in case you decide to take their head off?"

"Aww that's crap Grace, I'm approachable, Spence, Mel, Frankie, they approach me all the time ….."

"I'm not talking about Spence or the others. You have twenty people working for you Boyd, how many of them speak to you on a daily basis?"

"It's not how things are done Grace, there's a line of command that needs to be followed."

"Now who's talking crap?"

"Look Grace all I wanted to know was who wrote that stuff about me in the toilets."

"And all I'm saying is take your pick Boyd!"

"What do you think Grace?"

"About who wrote it?"

"No … about me, you think me overbearing when I'm dealing with you?"

"You know what I think already."

"Maybe I just need to hear it again."

"I think you're a big pussycat whose growl is worse than his bite."

"Really …. You're sure about that eh?"

"I'll take my chances." She smiled widely.

"Have you ever written on a toilet wall Grace?"

"In my younger days, yea we did it all the time. Anti-capitalist slogans mostly, furthering our cause and all that"

"Oh yea, I forgot you were a rebel in your time." His eyes sparkled as he smiled fondly at her.

"And who's to say I'm still not now?"

"Okay then what would you write on the walls now then Grace?"

"Are you sure that I haven't?

"Have you?"

"I guess you'll never know given that you've only been in one of the stalls, and we both know that is not my handwriting. "

"So you're telling me, Grace, that you have defaced Met property by writing some meaningless graffiti about me on the walls?"

"No I'm not admitting anything Boyd, but you might be pleasantly surprised if you checked out the third stall ….. let's just say... The writing's on the wall."