Boyd sat with his feet resting on the coffee table, pillows stuffed behind him as he looked out the window at the weak spring morning sunshine. The house was silent, the only sound coming from the clock ticking on the fireplace. Eight forty-two am and the only person awake, even the dog was still curled up sleeping in his bed. The other three occupants wouldn't be up for at least a few hours yet, two of them probably not until after dinner unless they were near dragged out of bed before that. Shifting to take a drink of his coffee he scanned the living room slowly taking in the various pictures that now covered every available space they could. He wasn't a one for sentimental stuff, only having the odd picture of his mother and Luke up until Frankie moved in and added as she called it a more homely and family touch.
Luke's pictures were on either end of the fireplace, one of him as a little boy of about seven or eight and the other as a teenager just before things spiralled out of control and he left home never to return. Next to Luke's pictures were pictures of Matthew, or Matt as he preferred now. The images showed him first as a toddler and the most recent being when he graduated university with his honours in sports. He had grown up to be a fine young man that both Jen and Boyd were proud of. The last two images on the fireplace held picture images of the last two members of the Boyd family. The first picture showed two small babies a few hours old at most, one wrapped in a pink blanket and the other a blue one. The last picture showed the very same children only much older, sitting side by side with forced smiles as the photographer took the customary school picture of them at the age of fourteen. Amelia and Daniel Boyd, Frankie and Boyd's only children after Frankie declared being pregnant once was enough, more so with twins. There had been a debate when the twins were born if they should be saddled with double baffled surnames as Frankie said hell would freeze over before she got married, especially to a man that had been married twice before. Boyd had said the third time was the charm but Frankie just told him to piss off and it was never mentioned again. In the end, it was decided that the twins would have their dads name so the Boyd twins were named after Frankie's brother and their former colleague and friend Amelia 'Mel' Silver.
On the walls hung pictures of the twins growing up, mixed in with pictures of them with various members of the old team through the years. Grace and Spencer looked ever the proud Godparents holding the twins on their christening day. Matt looking down on the twins as he held one in each arm at a few weeks old. Every picture showed a different progression in their lives, from newborn until they started high school. From then pictures were forbidden unless of course, it was on snap chat or some other social media with their friends. At the age of sixteen, the twins had spent their last two birthdays in lockdown due to the ongoing pandemic and neither was very happy about it. They had all hoped that their sixteenth which had only been a matter of weeks ago would be when they got to celebrate after the whole country went into its first lockdown just before they celebrated their fifteenth birthday. Yet it wasn't to be so they had been promised a massive party when things returned to a level of normal that permitted a huge celebration.
Amelia was a lot like Boyd, very headstrong, strong-willed and driven. Daniel on the other hand was like Frankie, more quiet and thoughtful yet he had the Boyd stubborn streak that had led to a few phone calls for his unwillingness to back down and fight his way out. Overall they were good kids, both doing well academically even after doing months of online homeschooling. Boyd was proud of all his children and how they had turned out, especially since things had turned out the way they had with Luke. Frankie had been the doting mother, fussing over the twins from the second they were born. It still only seemed like yesterday that she had told him she was pregnant and they agreed it was best if she left her position in the cold case unit and went back to lab work. She had grumbled and complained but knew it was for the best in the long run. Boyd was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear the footsteps coming down the stairs or hear the door to the living room open. It was until he felt a hand on his shoulder and a kiss to the crown of his head that he realised he wasn't the only occupant of the house awake.
"Morning," Frankie mumbled sleepily as she came to sit beside Boyd on the settee, and snuggled up to his side.
"Morning, " Boyd replied as he moved to wrap his arm around Frankie's shoulder. "Thought you would still be in bed. What time did you come in last night?" Looking down at the mop of long brown messy hair resting on his shoulder.
"Just after two, I think. Wasn't that complicated so I left the body with the minions." Snuggling closer to Boyd as he hugged her more tightly.
"Why don't you go back to bed then, the kids won't surface for hours yet." Running his hand up and down her ram before linking their hands together.
"Mhhh, it's cold now and you weren't there when I woke up. What were you deep in thought about anyway when I came in?" Frankie asked as she sat up and turned to face Boyd, linking their hands back together in her lap.
"It's funny looking back and seeing how things turned out isn't it." Glancing at Frankie then back to take in the pictures on the walls and the fireplace.
He got a faraway look in his eyes as his eyes lingered on one of the pictures of Luke.
"We did good, didn't we, they seem to have turned out alright so far all things considered." Hearing Boyd grumble his approval as his eyes shifted from the picture of Luke to the recent school photo of Amelia and Daniel.
"When the cold case unit ended they were only six, just finding their feet in school and starting to learn about the big wide world. Look at us all now, scattered to the four corners of the country and all stuck in our own homes. Poor kids couldn't even celebrate their birthday again. I think only Spence has been out as he is still working.' Smiling as Boyd pictured his friend and former colleague being stuck behind a desk in an office sorting through paperwork like he had once done.
"I spoke to Eve yesterday, she said she can make the call later on. Grace already confirmed she'll be on and Spencer said he would do it from his office if he doesn't get away on time so least we can still see everyone." Frankie said, trying to lift Boyd's mood but seeing a look of confusion on his face. "Did I not tell you?" Frankie attempted as she continued to look at a very confused Boyd. "I arranged a zoom meeting with everyone, seven o'clock tonight. Since we can't be together in person we can at least be together virtual." Knowing it wasn't the same but doing what she could so everyone could still see each other on the tenth anniversary of the cold case unit officially being disbanded and everyone going their separate ways.
"Bloody technology, it's got a lot to answer for. Nothing wrong with a phone call or a Peter." Boyd complained as Frankie laughed.
"Yeah, would that be the same technology that has helped the kids do school work this past year? Or the same technology that kept you in touch with Matthew while he was away studying for his degree before he graduated?" Glancing up at Boyd as she tried to hide her grin.
"Piss off, Frankie," Boyd growled before smiling. "Hey, at least if we did this virtual shite I don't have to buy drinks to celebrate. Maybe it's not so bad after all." Finally seeing a positive in the whole situation of being stuck in lockdown.
"Only you, Pete, only you." Frankie yawned as she turned to settle against Boyd again.
"Why don't you go back to bed? If you behave I might even come with you to keep you warm, or whatever." A sly grin slowly forming on his face.
"Yeah right, or whatever more like." Attempting to give Boyd an elbow to the ribs but falling as she yawned again.
"Come on, we can't have you falling asleep later or we'll all be screwed on the zonk thing. I have no idea how the hell it bloody works." Giving Frankie a nudge with his shoulder before shifting to stand up and pulling her to her feet as well.
After all but pushing Frankie back upstairs and into bed Boyd curled up behind her and watched as she fell asleep in his arms, a sight he never grew tired of even after nineteen years.
Frankie sat with Boyd beside her on the settee, laptop open on both their knees between them. She had sent out the links and they both watched as the screen slowly flickered as each of the friends logged on. Eve appeared first, Mike sitting beside her with his head resting on her shoulder. Then Spencer popped up, the off white walls of his office in the background. Grace was the last to log on, her voice coming through a few seconds before her video after she was given verbal instructions by both Frankie and Eve on how to switch the video on. The next hour was spent catching up on what they had all been up to in lockdown. Grace told them all about the paper she had written and how it was due for publication any day now. Spencer said he'd been working and that was it. Eve told them all about the farm and the work that was still going on there. Mike chipped in and said they still did police work every once in a while for DI Hale as Eve just couldn't give it up and missed the thrill of it. At this point, Boyd looked at Frankie knowing she was the same and still did work for the police as she missed it so much.
"Did everyone get their parcels?" Frankie suddenly asked as Boyd again looked perplexed as everyone on the laptop screen pulled out a bottle of champagne and various glasses that they had dugout.
Frankie reached onto the floor beside her and lifted up a bottle of champagne and two glasses. Boyd just looked at the screen and back at Frankie, shaking his head when the pieces fell into place.
"So much for not paying for drinks." Boyd moaned as Frankie passed him a glass of champagne.
"You want to start Boyd?" Frankie chipped in as everyone on the screen held up their glasses of champagne.
"Well, this is different. Didn't expect to be sitting here tonight with you lot in sight but so far away." Boyd said softly as he looked at each person on his screen individually. "It's been an odd year, and an odd way to mark our tenth anniversary, but it's us so it's not like it would ever be normal. To us, a team broke up by circumstance but bonded by friendship and understanding." Boyd finished as he held his glass aloft and tipped it towards the screen.
"Don't forget all those nights we spent in a basement with too much concrete and not enough light." Grace chipped in as Spencer, Eve and Frankie laughed as they said cheers before taking a drink of their champagne.
Boyd watched as his Frankie's drank their champagne, his glass finding its way to his lips as he too took a sip.
"Speaking of basements," Spencer chimed in before starting on one of his back in the day stories that involved Mel, Frankie and some fake blood one Halloween.
The next two hours passed with tales of misfortunes, pranks played and memories shared of the time they all spent working together. There was plenty of laughter, cheers and even a few tears as stories involving Mel and Stella were mentioned. Boyd out of nowhere stopped everyone and raised his glass to absent friends, Mel, Stella and even Sarah getting a mention. As the night drew on Grace was the first to end the call, making everyone promise to meet up as soon as it was deemed safe. Then Spencer called it a night as he had to get home for some sleep before his shift started the next day leaving Eve, Mike, Frankie and Boyd. Mike bowed out when Eve started to tell Frankie about a case they had worked on and Boyd soon followed. Frankie and Eve chatted for another half hour after the men had left before calling it night.
After locking up and saying goodnight to the kids Frankie collapsed into bed next to Boyd, who took his glasses off and put his book down as Frankie snuggled closer to him.
"Thanks for tonight, it was good to see everyone after so long," Boyd whispered to Frankie after switching the light off and sliding under the covers to join her.
"No problem, it was fun having a catch-up." Frankie agreed as she rolled over and settled her back against Boyd's chest. "I can't wait until we can do it in person, preferably with no masks and being able to hug my friends," Frankie added as she closed her eyes.
"Won't be long now," Boyd whispered as he kissed the top of Frankie's head and closed his eyes.
It hadn't been the anniversary he was used to, but it was special in its own way.