Author's note:- Episode based fun based on The Final Cut Series 3 episode 7/8. Small spoilers. Rated for language and sexual content (eventually). I own nothing sadly.
Interruptions 2/5
"Spence should be here. He seemed a bit off tonight anyone know why?" Frankie asked as they all looked at Grace.
"Why does everyone assume that I know what's going on?" She laughed feeling Boyd's hand rest over hers under the table. She could feel his frustration, his impatience, she was feeling all of that herself but it was definitely not the time to explain to the girls why they were so desperate to leave.
"Because normally you do." Mel said simply. "Come on Grace we all go to you in the end even when we're determined to handle things ourselves. We flail around for a while then end up in your office or at your door telling you everything in spite of ourselves."
"She has a point Grace. Isn't that basically what I was saying earlier? You hold us all together." Boyd smiled his eyes meeting hers for a second as Frankie and Mel shared an amused eye roll.
"Maybe but not this time. I asked him at the house if he was ok and he just told me he was fine."
"He isn't though, at least you don't think he is?" Boyd pressed trying to keep his mind on anything other than what he really wanted to be doing at that moment.
"I think it will be worth keeping an eye on him he's already under pressure waiting on his promotion board results. We know he was brought up in the Knotting Hill area maybe this case is a little too close to home."
"Was I really insensitive wanting to celebrate tonight?" Mel asked feeling instantly reassured as Grace smiled at her.
"Of course not. As I recall it was Spence who first suggested we do something, let him be for now when he's ready to tell us he will. Do you two get chips then?"
"Nah we decided to go straight for the booze. Why did you come here we normally go to the Cobblers or was that the point?" Frankie asked raising a teasing eyebrow at Grace as she once again felt Boyd tense.
"I was being lectured about my place in the team. I didn't feel like doing that in front of a load of police officers half of whom think what I do is rubbish anyway." She replied smiling as Boyd squeezed her hand again. She knew it was a silent thank you that she was handling things much better than he was.
"I didn't lecture you, I just didn't like the way I realised you looked at yourself in the team dynamic."
"Why? You are the team dynamic." Frankie said clearly surprised by the revelation. Something in the back of her mind was chiming, telling Grace there was something going on but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Not yet.
"Yeah definitely do you think the rest of us would put up with him if you weren't around? You know what they say about the power behind the throne. That's 100% you Grace, he just pretends he's in charge and you let him." Mel agreed the look she and Frankie shared increasing the chiming but not clearing the fog around it.
"See I told you. Though I dispute that she's the real one in charge, I prefer to think we keep you unruly lot in line together." Boyd laughed resting his arm over the back of the booth behind Grace. It made him feel a little more like he was enjoying a drink with the woman he loved without being overtly affectionate.
"You keep thinking that boss man." Mel laughed lifting their bottle of wine and refilling both their glasses. "This is done...I'll get you another one."
"No!" Grace and Boyd said in unison as the look of mock surprise Frankie and Mel exchanged finally cleared the fog and she knew exactly what was going on. They hadn't arrived just in time to see them prepare to leave. They'd been there long enough to witness the kiss. Now she realised they had no idea it was the first time it had happened, they assume she and Boyd were together and hadn't told them. This was payback, gentle teasing payback but payback nonetheless.
"Ok, ok god you two really are spoil sports tonight." Frankie replied. "You..."
"We're not the only ones." Grace said quietly seeing the girls instantly pick up on the fact she knew exactly what they were doing. "Excuse me, quick trip to the ladies. Get the girls another drink Boyd we'll wine our wine then we're leaving."
"Ladies? Yeah me to." Mel replied.
"And me." Frankie added.
"What is it with women you feel the need to go to the loo in packs?" Boyd sighed as Grace waited until the girls moved before leaning toward him.
"They know. They saw us now get them drinks while I have a word with our mischievous girls." She whispered smiling at him. "Relax do you think if they were upset they'd have spend the last half hour torturing us?"
"What? They've been..."
"Just leave it to me, get them drinks another half an hour and we'll be out of here I want you all to myself an out of that suit."
"Likewise." Boyd said with a quiet groan as he watched her walk away taking a minute to compose himself before going to the bar.
"You two better not even try to pretend you don't know why were standing here." Grace said with a mock sternness she knew they could see right through.
"We have no idea..." Mel began before stopping as Frankie held her hands up.
"No point Mel we're well and truly busted. If anyone should be annoyed though it should be us, you and Boyd? Exactly how long has that been going on?"
"Yeah Grace how long? We always thought there was something you know."
"About..." Grace sighed glancing at her watch before continuing. "An hour and forty five minutes that's how long, you have no idea just how frustrating your teasing has been since you arrived."
"What? Grace you're not making any sense."
"Yes she is." Mel sighed feeling a pang of guilt that she'd ever thought Grace and Boyd would keep something that big from them. "What we saw was the first..."
"Yes."
"Oh god Grace I'm sorry."
"Did you really think we'd not have told you."
"Not thinking about it now but..."
"Guys I've still no bloody idea what's going on!" Frankie interrupted as Grace leaned back against the wash hand basins and folded her arms smiling tolerantly at the younger doctor.
"My doubts about my place in the team weren't the only thing we ended up talking about tonight. Once we started talking about how we felt professionally it all sort of came out. How he was feeling, how I was feeling and we realised we'd been completely blind to those feelings in each other. He...well he's told me he's in love with me."
"And we know that just like we know you're in love with him." Mel smiled.
"Indeed but it hasn't been going on any length of time. We haven't been keeping it from you. So far it's very frustratingly been a joint declaration and one kiss. A very good kiss that..."
"Oh shit. That was about to lead to plenty more kissing away from here and...whatever else and we interrupted." Frankie groaned as Grace nodded.
"Umm. Like I said extremely torturous and frustrating."
"We assumed that you'd blown us out to be alone, that you were just going home to..."
"Do something we'd been secretly doing for a long time?"
"Yeah."
"Sadly not."
"You should go..." Mel said quietly smiling as Grace shook her head.
"Yeah you really should Grace we're so sorry." Frankie agreed.
"We'll finish our drinks then we'll go and unless you hear the world is ending in 3 minutes I don't want to hear from you or anyone else again before morning."
"If we hear the world is going to end in 3 minutes do you really want us to stop you doing what you're going to be doing to tell you?" Frankie laughed as they left the bathroom and headed back to the table.
"Good point. No actually I've ever confidence it will be a very nice position to be in at the end of the world." Grace laughed as they returned to the table and Boyd looked at her with a distinct "rabbit in the headlights" gaze. Without saying anything she slipped back into the booth kissing him gently then lifting her wine glass as she rested back on his arm where it still rested on the back.
"I'm not sure what if anything I'm supposed to say right now." He said quietly letting his arm properly rest around Grace's shoulder.
"You could start with "I Peter Boyd am a blind idiot who could have been with someone amazing for years I've I'd just opened my eyes." They say admitting you have a problem is the first step." Mel replied seeing him glance at Grace. "Don't look at her like that she said you were both to blame but for god sake Boyd Stevie Wonder could have see she was crazy about you how come you didn't?"
"She's the psychologist. Why's no one giving her a hard time about not knowing I was crazy about her?"
"We like her more than you." Frankie teased earning herself a beer mat missile. "You were both idiots we just like to give you a hard time."
"Yeah you've been doing that from the second you sat down." Boyd replied as Grace laughed at the doubt meaning in his words and the girls just rolled their eyes.
"You do realise they are going to be impossible now don't you?" Mel laughed as Frankie agreed and they watched Grace drain her wine glass and reach for her handbag.
"We'll do our best not to be, for now enjoy the rest of your evening girls."
"Cause you have every intention of enjoying yours?" Frankie smiled as Boyd stood up too and she took his hand leading him toward the door. "Oh and Grace?"
"Yes?"
"What if we hear it's longer than 3 minutes do you want us to call then?"
"No let me die in blissful ignorance."
"What was that about?" Boyd asked pulling her into his arms and kissing her again as he hailed a cab. "If your fantasies have involved 3 minutes you're going to love the reality."
"Oh no. That's a private joke nothing about your ability to please." Grace whispered as they got into the cab and he gave the driver her address. "In my fantasies you were always amazing but I expect you to prove I was right the second we get to my place."
"Good." Boyd replied indulging in kissing her again before looking her in the eye. "Because that's exactly what I plan on doing. Over and over and over again all night."