The four of them arrived at the pub around 20 minutes later, greeted by the cheers of their colleagues. Terry had been right, in that they had got the first few rounds in, and from the looks on their faces, this was going to be one heavy drinking session!
'Right you guys' called Stuart over the commotion,' this is Olivia.' He said as he fell onto a nearby sofa. Heads nodded in her direction, and a few 'hi's could be heard, as she moved towards a sofa, collapsed in to it and tucked herself under Stuart's arm which was now resting across the back of it. Stuart reached down and kissed the top of her head.
Back in Sun Hill, Sam looked at her watch. 10:10. She'd sat in silence sine 6pm, thinking. That night was supposed to be dedicated to paper-work that she had missed when she had gone to visit Abi and Jared a few weeks previous, but he hadn't been able to concentrate ever since Stuart had dropped this new bombshell. She'd been thinking about Stuart and her all night, and how things could have been different if he hadn't of miscarried their baby. She'd never thought about it, really, with much consideration, but Stuart would've made a fantastic dad. Sam on the other hand wouldn't have made a great mum. She had long forgotten how to look after a child. Abi was in her twenties for goodness sake! If she had of had that child then Jared would have been three years old that his aunt or uncle. That was just absurd. A woman of her age shouldn't have been a mum. But Stuart would have been a very good father. She knew that for sure.
Sam couldn't be bothered trying to concentrate anymore, she knew it wouldn't work anyway. She decided to take her thoughts home with her and try to sleep, but she knew that wouldn't work either. She shut down her computer and left CID in complete darkness.
At the Seven bells, the drinking session was well under way. Mickey was almost asleep in the corner, and Smithy had a very tired and very drunk, Sally Armstrong leaning against his torso. Stuart guessed that he and Olivia weren't going to be the only ones going home together tonight.
'So, Olivia,' Questioned Kezia. Uh-Oh. This was it. The moment that Stuart had been waiting for all night. Question time. The compatibility test. Every partner/boyfriend/girlfriend went through one. Stuart just hoped that they wouldn't go too hard on Livvy. At the sound of Kezia's 'So, Olivia' everyone's ears pricked up, and began to listen intently. Even Mickey made an effort. Olivia had clocked on that everyone had suddenly began to pay attention, and she answered 'Kezia.'
'Tell us about yourself.' Kezia replied.
Olivia looked up into Stuart's eyes for a second, slid forward fairly slowly, placed her glass on the table, and fell back into Stuart, who put his arms around her, as a sign of support. She Began
'Well, I'm thirty-one; I have three brothers and two sisters. Both my sisters are younger than me, and all my brothers are older. From Barhead in Scotland, this kind of explains the accent. I have a decree Spanish and Psychology, which is quite useful working in MIT. I like Bryan Adams, and Guns and roses, oh and I'm a sucker for a bit of E.L.O. Oh and I think that Dougie Henshall and John Barrowman are the fittest men on earth.'
'Oi!' said Stuart with a laugh. Everyone laughed at that.
'What! It's true!' she laughed back.
This was a good sign that everyone was laughing. The rest of the team liked her. That was something.
'Sorry babe.' She replied as she reached up and kissed him. Stuart kissed her back, which was met with groans of 'eugh' and 'yuk' and even a 'get a room!'
'You can talk!' he called over the glass ridden table towards smithy, nodding at the fact and he and Sally both had their arms around each other. 'Very cosy' he thought 'especially for that fact that they aren't seeing each other. Yet.'
Terry, Jo and Kezia began to laugh. Terry looked to the clock above the blazing fire place, which was the only source of light in the room. 1130.
'Right, well, i must be getting back home, or the wife will be wandering if I'm dead..' he yawned.
'Good idea,' said Jo, who was also a little worse for wear. 'you're paying for the taxi though.'
'Well hurry up then!'
With that, all of them arose from their seats, some quicker than others, admittedly. Sally on the other hand, had to e shaken, quite violently for her to wake up.
They all made it out to the street, laughing and falling over one another into black cabs and onto the pavement. Stuart, Terry and Olivia spied Smithy and sally falling into a taxi, kissing, and looked at one another, eyebrows raised, before laughing, before saying their goodbyes and leaving to go their separate ways. Stuart and Olivia climbed into a black cab, called and waved to their friends who all called and waved back, and set off into the darkness. The night was not over yet.
