I am aware it's utter crap and very dull, but I enjoy writing and hopefully the next chapter/one after should be more exciting. Sorry. Xxx

Chapter 4

Supplies from the local corner shop in one hand Rachel fought through her handbag with the other in search of her keys. Once she finally found them, she identified the right key and pushed it into the lock but as she tried to twist it the stopped dead. After several attempts she dived into her bag again and removed her phone. She quickly found the number and waited impatiently for her ex to answer the phone.

"Rachel." Nick muttered down the line his voice hoarse from drinking and tiredness.

"What are you playing at? Have you changed the fucking locks?" Rachel questioned down the phone as she leaned against the wall in search of relief from her aching back.

"You stupid bitch." Nick laughed.

"Oh sorry, are we talking to me?"

"What were you thinking?"

"When?" Rachel asked trying to understand the conversation.

"You don't think do you?" You don't, do you? You just do whatever comes into your head next." Nick slurred angrily.

"Are you drunk?" The pregnant woman's voice rose as it filled with patronisation.

"Yeah." Nick answered with what seemed to be greed in his voice.

"Where are you?" Rachel asked as she started walking towards the lift that would take her from the building.

"Burger bar on Chapel Street."

Rachel walked as fast as her body would allow her. Anger and fear swept through her as she knew she was meant to be resting. After the short walk the detective stormed into the café. "We had a deal." She immediately began upon the sight of Nicholas Savage.

"Had." Nick echoed.

"What?" Rachel questioned bewilder as eased herself into a chair.

"Couldn't stand losing, could ya?"

"I'm sorry Nick, you are way ahead of me, I am struggling to keep up with ya." Rachel confessed with anger in her voice.

Nick broke of the condescending smile that had consumed his face to explain, "someone rang my wife and told her you were having my baby."

"Well it was me."

"Well then who the hell did, then?"

"I don't know, I have no idea!" Rachel exploded.

Nick paused, unsure how to continue as the revelation that it wasn't Rachel had shocked him.

"Why don't you try your Miss. Bimbo Junior Council? How well does she know Caroline? Because she seemed very interested when you came over to talk to me the other day. Not shagging her as well, are you?" Rachel pressed.

"Well anyway the upshot is that she knows and she's kicked me out. So, guess what? I need the flat back."

"Hand on a minute, you can't." The anxiety rose in her voice.

"Can't I? Why not? She's found out. You can't blackmail me anymore!" Nick laughed finding it hilarious.

"I have rented my flat out through an agency so I would need to give a month's notice if I wanted it back!." Rachel spat.

"If you are going to dish it out you need to be able to take it, don't you, Rachel?"

"I nearly lost the baby." Rachel reduced her voice to a whisper as she fear for her unborn child's life race through her. "Last night" Rachel added.

"This is all your stuff." Nick explained as he wafted his hand about himself. "I took the liberty." He took in her shocked face and then continued, "You didn't think it was mine did you?" He then stood up and simply muttered "bye" as he walked out of the door.

Rachel was left reeling when the young waitresses suddenly announced that the café was closing in five minutes. 'Brilliant' Rachel thought to herself as she pulled her phone out of her pocket. "Janet, he's chucked me out." Rachel simply announced into the phone; she wasn't in the mood for pleasantries.

"You're staying at mine. Where are you?"

"Outside the burger bar on Chapel Street." Rachel replied.

"I'll be ten minutes." Upon hearing this Rachel hung up and began moving the numerous rubbish sacks out onto the freezing Manchester street.

The beep of a car horn drew Rachel out of the day dream that had consumed her in the time she had spent waiting for her friend. The young pregnant woman jumped into action and transported her belongings into the back of Janet's car. The silence between the women was an unspoken but understood pact that was continued until their arrival at Janet's residence.

"Here you go." Janet stated as she showed Rachel the room she was staying in. "It's hardly the Malmaison but-"

"Ah no, I would've rung our Alison but she hasn't got room to swing a mouse. And, anyway, I would've had to talk and explain and go through it endlessly so…" Rachel dumped her stuff beside the bed and sunk down onto it. The strain of the day could be clearly heard in her voice.

"I'm glad you're here. Ade and I had a bit of a shouting match the other day and he's been sleeping in here ever since so it's no bad thing if he's forced back." Janet added a humorous tone to her stage whisper as she finished explaining in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"What's all this." Rachel signalled to the piles of what she could only assume were police files.

"Oh yeah, dig in if you're bored of an evening. It's that girl I told you about, you know, the one I was at school with."

"There you go boss." Taisie shouted to announce her arrival with the brew was holding.

"Has that got sugar in it?" Rachel immediately questioned.

"No." Taisie replied in the tone that all girls adopted as soon as they hit thirteen. Seeing the intent stare Rachel was giving her she let out a huge sigh and walked out of the room.

"THREE!" Rachel shouted, making sure she was heard. The two women erupted into a silent giggle at Taisie's performance.

"She loves you; she's do anything for you. You're right up there with Lady Gaga." Janet joked explaining her youngest daughter's affection for the young copper sat before her.

"I'm speechless." Rachel spoke with the tone that celebrities reserved for the most prestigious awards.

"You're pale. I'll go make you something to eat." Janet said as she adopted her mothering role.

"Thank you Janet" Rachel muttered as the woman left the room, then repeated herself more audibly making sure her thanks was heard.

~()~

Rachel switched the TV off. She had spent the time watching a pretty pink pig, named Peppa giggle her way through hours, upon hours of television. Rachel had forbidden herself room watching any form of desperate day time television, especially Jeremy Kyle, so all she was left with was Peppa Pig. Rachel didn't want to admit it to herself but she actually enjoyed it. Rachel rationalised it to herself as research. But it did worry herself that she laughed more than the pigs on the screen when the two piglets, Peppa and her brother, George chased each other around the room the boy holding a dinosaur screaming "RAWR" and the girl holding a doll screeching in mock fear! After spending twenty four hours lying in bed Rachel felt like she was going to die of boredom. She momentarily placed her hands on her stomach before picking up her keys: she had been given the all clear.

Rachel walked to her car swinging her keys in her hand. She slid into to the driver's seat put the keys in the engine switched the radio and belted out all the heart classics on the drive from Janet's to Oldham police station.

Rachel walked into the building twenty minutes late, missing the morning briefing, but that wasn't a change, however she knew she would be able to get away with it. As she walked past her S.I.O's office she saw a long finger bend three times. 'Oh shit.' Rachel thought to herself, realising that she may be in slightly more trouble than she had bargained for. Rachel stepped into the office like a nervous school kid.

"Rachel!" Gill exclaimed, "How is everything now?" the sparrow like woman asked, reducing her voice to a whisper. Gill motioned for the door to be closed and for the young detective to take a seat.

Rachel performed the actions and finished by answering the question, "I'm fine, the baby's fine, we're fine."

"Good." Gill answered promptly. "Well you can take as much time off as you need but if you want to keep busy I am just about to send Janet off to talk to the car owner."

"Thank you, Ma'am. Car?" Rachel questioned, but quickly put two and two together and realised that there must have been a new lead.

"Car, yes, what looks like, is, blood and all sorts of other gore is on the wheels, CPSO called it in." Gill answered clearing any confusion.

"Any chance she needs a hand?" Rachel ventured in a desperate attempted to escape into the fresh air.

Gill thought for a moment and then gave a quick shake of the head then automatically pushed her glasses back onto her face and resumed her glare at the computer screen.

Rachel heaved herself up and began to waddle for the door as her ever increasing stomach had begun to inhibit her from moving with any form of grace.

Distracted by the inordinate about of noise the Gill lifted her eyes and watched the young woman struggle to the door. "Oh and Rachel," Gill began.

"Yes, ma'am?" Rachel said spinning her head around, trying to show some form of respect without having to move.

"If you ever need to reduce your hours; if you need to start later, finish earlier just say." Gill offered.

"Erm, thanks, Ma'am." Rachel stuttered her words, surprised by her boss' sudden kindness.

Kevin felt his heart start to race as Rachel Bailey walked straight into his arms. He put it down to fear, she was pregnant after all. He felt a shiver race down his spine, 'hormones' Kevin thought, trying to rationalise his feelings. Those hormones had caused him so much fear as they raced through the young pregnant detective's body. But, however many times he interpreted the race of his heart and the shiver down his spines fear he knew that, deep down, it wasn't. "Core blimey Rach! Did you just kick me?" Kevin questioned jokingly holding the pregnant woman in his arms having felt a small jolt on his stomach where their bodies were pressed together. Kevin quickly broke off the intimate moment.

"This kid has quickly learnt who deserves a bloody great kick from time to time." Rachel answered back trying not to look as flustered as she felt.

"How are you, how is the kid?" Kevin asked, growing concerned after hearing the shock they had given the team the other day, Kevin knew it must have been serious considering Godzilla was concerned.

"I'm fine, she's fine." Rachel replied, wishing the attention could be diverted from her.

"'She', you mean the baby's a girl?" Kevin asked feeling the excitement growing inside him.

'Shit' Rachel thought to herself, she had planned to keep it a secret and there was no way she would be able to lie to the whole of the MIT team after this, they weren't in MIT for nothing, well maybe except Kevin. "Yes, I had planned to keep it a surprise but my baby clearly doesn't want it to be!" Rachel joked, a part of her was relieved at least she didn't have to keep it a secret.

"Oi, everyone, Sherlock's having a girl!" Kevin announced to the entire office causing a collective cheer to erupt.

~()~

As Rachel sat in the passenger seat of the unmarked police car she felt her annoyance rise up. "Do I not get to make any for my own announcements?" Rachel fumed. "I mean seriously, first the fact that I am pregnant, and then the one secret I have left is that I'm having a girl, a baby girl," Rachel paused for a moment reeled in by the knowledge that she was having a baby girl. "But then Kevin, bloody Kevin, the one detail he actually picks up on!" Rachel finally finished once words failed her.

Janet drummed her fingers on the steering wheel in hope of inspiration for what to say but then gave up and changed the subject. "I'm amazed Gill didn't send you home."

Rachel inhaled deeply before beginning, "no, erm, she said take off as long as you want. No, she was, erm, really sweet actually." Rachel could feel the tears building as she relived the fears of the previous night.

"Do they know why it happened?" Janet quickly questioned as she tried to keep the conversation rolling.

"No," Rachel began but then hesitated leaving a pause, "no they don't." Rachel finally elaborated.

"I'm sorry I was heavy handed with you the other day." Janet released the guilt that had been consuming her.

"No, no, no, no," Rachel raced, "I need telling, I…" Rachel drew in sharply as she felt a flutter inside her, she placed her hands on her rounded stomach, trying to reassure her daughter that she heard her loud and clear. "If it wasn't for you, I would've been back in uniform months ago!" Rachel let the words hand in the air whilst she tried to find the words she was looking for. "I am learning Janet; I will learn"

"Good because I'd be bored out of me tree without you to look forward to everyday!" The two women chuckled to themselves before sharing a meaningful look.