Chapter 4: take me home

'Right my little poppet while we wait for Boyd to come back let's get you set up shall we.'

Holding her little hand in hers grace walked Evie back into her office.

Grace laid out Evie's play mat she kept in the cupboard for such occasion as these and put it on the floor in front of her sofa .Sitting Evie down on her mat and handed her, her bunny toy.

'Stay right there I'm just going to see what I can find grace smiled at the little one.'

Stepping outside the office she picked up the bag Frankie had left with items of Evie's in it and brought it back into her office. In the bag grace found a story book and a small box full of building blocks amongst some clothes .Grace took the building blocks out of the bag and Evie began to giggle and clap her hands in excitement

'So this is what you want hey, well here you go' grace opened the box and tipped the building blocks onto the mat in front of Evie.'you play nicely while I'm just going to finish some work and then we can play together ok?'

Evie made some shrilling noises and proceeded to play with the building block picking them up and letting them dropped seem to be her favorite past time .

while grace sat at her desk and continue to fill out paperwork Evie tried to put the blocks together she manage to stack about three before going back to picking them up and throwing them round .

Grace had given up half way through writing, Evie's voice of giggles and mumbling where much to fascinating to watch, grace loved having her around and had gotten up and fetched some milk and a plain biscuit when Evie had proclaimed she was hungry but now Evie was making a terrific mess with a soggy biscuit .Grace moved from watching her in her chair to sitting on Evie's play mat with her.

She cleaned the little ones face and sat her back against the bottom of the sofa to prop herself up while sitting on the floor .she place Evie in front of her between her legs and gave her a big cuddle to which Evie's replied with shrills of laughter .Then grace proceed to show Evie how to stack the building block letting her knock them over once the height was big enough .Every time grace gave her the ok to knock the plastic bricks down Evie would jump out of her seated position and knock the tower down with her hand as soon as the brick started to fall Evie would jump on the spot shouting again ,again .

Grace had not notice Boyd and Stella walking back into the unit. Stella had quietly pulled Boyd over to Grace's office where through the glass in the door Boyd could see his partner and godchild happily playing .He knew he should tell grace he was back but he also knew grace wouldn't want to stay in the office once she knew, she would want to take Evie home and have some hours away from work to spent some precious time with the youngster.

So Boyd decided to wrap up the loose end and then fetch grace .He turned to head in the direction of his office to make the dreaded call to the commissioner. Before doing so he sent Stella quietly on her way home telling her to meet back at the office in the morning where they would continue with the case.

Stella was off like a shot, getting to go home at a decent hour made her not question her boss, as this was a very rare thing.

Boyd had just finished ringing the commissioner and updating him on the case when he knew he should check in on Spence and eve.

Spence picked up the call –'are you still working down there?' Boyd asked

'Yeah sir, Eve thinks we will be another couple of hours '

'Right well as soon as you're finished have anything you find sent back to the lab and then get yourselves home. Anything else can wait for tomorrow when we can look at it fresh.'

'Ok …sir...if anything you know body wise turns up do you want me to give you a call.'

'Yeah you can do Spence but phone the home or mobile, I'm taking grace and Evie home now and Stella has left the office too.'

'Ok sir, night'

'Night.'

Boyd sat back is his chair it was gone 8 o clock ,grace would be mad with him he had said an hour any other time would have been fine but they were looking after Evie. It had become pretty quiet in the office now where were they?

Earlier while on the phone to the commissioner he could hear Evie's laughter .but now the unit seemed too quiet for his liking.

He padded over to grace's office and was slightly overwhelmed by what he saw.

Grace laid on her sofa with a tiny Evie snuggling into her asleep, she looked content they both did and that made him feel a lot of love for this woman .His eyebrows raised at the mess of grace's office he never seen it so disorganized which was down to Evie's doing .There we play block all over the floor, Evie's play mat and her bunny toy that she carried everywhere lay amongst the destruction.

Boyd didn't want to wake them, they both looked so peaceful but he knew he must. The argument and a stressed out grace for not looking after Evie wouldn't be worth living for in the morning .so he made his way through the office trying picking up some of the plastic bricks on the way to help clear the room.

As he looked down on the two on them he had an urge to stroke Evie's hair .it was so soft and her skin was silky and plump .then he looked at grace stroking her cheek he quietly said her name .she made some incoherent sound and lean further into his touch.

'Grace come on love, time to go home.'

'Hum' …grace eyes slowly open adjusting to the light coming through the office door

'God what time is it?' she asked looking up at him

'About 8 o clock, come on we need to get you home and this little one.'

'Grace Look down to her side where Evie's head was rest on one of her arms and her little hands had grab hold of her top and weren't letting go.'

'She's so tiny and innocence, peter look.'

And he did she was right 'she is beautiful .now come on you I whisking you away before I change my mind ,do you need help getting her up .'

'It seems a shame to wake her…'

'Stay there' Boyd leant down and picked the tiny bundle up .For a few moments Boyd thought he had woken her and she was restless but Evie seem to snuggle right back into Boyd arms without any problems.

Grace had watch how careful Boyd have been not to disturb her and grace's heart jus melted as Boyd waited for her and she gathered there things she walk up to him as close as she could get and lean her head against one of his strong arms .

'Peter'

'Yeah'

'I love you, take me home.' And at that Boyd just smiled.