-x- Chapter 10 -x-

"How's breakfast coming along darling?" Duffy asks, as she walks into the kitchen.

"Fine. Bacon is under the grill, timer is set. Bread is all sliced. Coffee is warming up in the machine. Alka seltzer is bubbling away, just in case, here. What can go wrong?" He says, as he turns around, handing her a glass filled with the aspirin in water, smiling back at her.

"Ha, ha. You've done well sweetheart." She smiles back at him, as she takes the glass of water from him.

"Thought you'd need it after all that wine and champagne last night." He said, as he winks at her.

"Aww you know me so well." She giggles at him, as she does feel a little hungover this morning.

"I do indeed." He smiles at her.

She screws up her face as she takes a large gulp of the aspirin water.

"Oh, um, yak. Ew. It never gets any easier drinking that stuff." She says, as she passes the empty glass back to him.

He takes the glass, putting it on the kitchen counter. He turns around to her then asks.

"So, um, how's things with Robyn?" Looking a little apprehensive.

"Oh, fine. She'd like a bacon sandwich too, if you don't mind that is." Duffy replies, looking at him nonchalantly.

"No, I mean about last night." He asks, as he puts his hands in his pockets.

"Oh, you mean, erm." She smirks at him.

"You know exactly what I mean Duffy."

"Ha, ha. Why don't you ask her?"

"Duffy."

"What did she say?" He pries her again.

"Oh, alright, spoil sport. We just discussed that we need our own time, just as much as she does."

"Oh, what does that mean then?"

"I suggested we babysit Charlotte a few times a week, so she can go out with her friends, and have a break, and it'll give us time to ourselves too."

"Duffy." He replies frowning at her.

"What?" She frowns, folding her arms at him.

"That's..." He says, as he walks over to her.

"Charlie?" Duffy asks looking at him concerned.

"A great idea." He says, as he takes her by the waist and smirks at her.

"Charlie." She taps him on the chest and smiles at him.

"I'll have you all to myself then." He smirks at her again.

"Ha, ha, you will darling." Duffy replies, giggling at him.

"We can be as adventurous as we like then." He smirks, then winks at her.

"Charlie." She just smiles at him, biting her lip.

He bends down slightly and kisses her playfully.

"Mmm, looking forward to it darling." She replies, playing with his collar.

"Me too." He smirks at her.

They giggle at each other, and then the oven timer begins to beep loudly.

"Shit, the bacon." He exclaims.

"Ha, ha." She giggles at him, shaking her head.

He lifts down the oven door, and a waft of steam and smoke spills out.

"Oh, you're kidding me." He sighs, as he takes the tray out using an oven mitt.

He turns around and shows her the burnt crispy bacon sizzling on the tray. He looked at her and grimaced.

"Oh darling. Ha, ha, ha." She giggles at him, her hands covering her mouth as she continues to laugh.

-x-

Fifteen minutes later, Robyn placed a sleeping Charlotte in her white wicker basket, as she then walked through the living room along the hallway, and into the kitchen.

She saw Charlie hugging Duffy to him, his arm around her shoulder, and then kiss her forehead, as they giggled at each other.

"Robyn, morning." Charlie said, as he quickly released Duffy from his embrace, he looked a little shocked.

"Morning Charlie." She smirked at him.

"Um, bacon sandwich will be ready soon." He added.

"Thanks." She said, as she took a seat at the breakfast bar.

"Charlotte has just gone down for a nap."

"Oh that's good darling." Duffy said, as she smirked at Charlie, then at Robyn.

"We had a bit of a mishap with the bacon." Duffy added.

"Um, yeah." Charlie grimaced.

"Ha, ha." Duffy giggled at Charlie again.

"Never mind." Robyn smirks at them.

"Coffee?" Charlie asks, coughing slightly, frowning at Duffy.

"Thanks Charlie." Robyn smiles back at him.

"One coffee coming up." Charlie replies, as he quickly turns to the coffee machine and cups laid out ready.

Duffy then opens the door to the oven, checking the bacon.

"Ah, and the bacon is now ready too."

"Oh that's a relief." Charlie says, as he turns and smirks back at Duffy.

"He's not the best chef, but, he tries." Duffy looks back at Robyn and smirks.

Charlie looks at Robyn and shrugs.

Robyn giggled at Charlie, and they both seemed much more at ease with each other, if only slightly embarrassed.

This was definitely down to Duffy, she always seemed to calm the situation. And, that was something she had always noticed about both Charlie and Duffy. Duffy made him feel at ease, and less stressed, especially when she saw the two of them together. She'd known Charlie for quite a long time, and she's only really known him as her boss. But, he had always been there to offer kind words of wisdom, and support, to everyone really. He was the father figure to everyone in the department, even though he spent little time with his own son Louis, he always made sure everyone was ok. It made her realise though, that even though he had Louis, before Duffy came back he previously had nothing else in his life except his job. Duffy simply changed his life completely. He was still the Charlie she remembered, but he was a different man now. Much happier, less stressed, calmer, more at ease with the world. Most of all, he wasn't alone anymore. Duffy just had to walk into the room and he changed. It was obvious when she came back to work that there was something between the two, more than just old colleagues and friends. She knew him so well, and she seemed to be the only one who could get him to relax. She remembered the following day after the helicopter crash that Charlie looked so drained, and tired worrying about Connie and Grace. She had wanted to talk to Charlie about something that day, she couldn't remember what now. But Duffy was persistent that he not be disturbed. When Charlie had finally appeared he looked a little sleepy, more refreshed, surely he'd been napping? The look Charlie gave Duffy when they were leaving their meeting, she knew that was his way of thanking her for letting him have time to himself. That thought was confirmed once again when Duffy had asked all the staff to stay behind after work to support Charlie. It was at that moment when Robyn realised that Duffy was the only one really looking out for Charlie, and he deserved that. Because he was always there for everyone else, but no one was really there for him too. Someone who would take care of him, someone who he'd let take care of him too. It was almost an unspoken connection between the two. When they eventually declared they were a couple at the Christmas party, it was a shock, but deep down, not really a surprise. Well, how they went about it was a shock, but seeing them happy, and, in love. Who could argue with that? Ma and Pa were in love, and to be honest, nothing could have made all the department, and her happier than seeing Charlie happy with Duffy too. He deserved it, they both did. Seeing them get married, how in love they were that day, how in love they still are. Just cements the fact that they were always meant to be. They had waited so long to be together, they deserved it so much.

Now, seeing them happily married, standing in their kitchen as they cooked her breakfast. They really were like her adoptive Mum and Dad. She smirked at them both, as they busied themselves with the breakfast.

-x-