Happy New Year! If you're still here for it, this is Scott & Bailey - Part 3- 2020 A continuation of the show as if it never ended. Part 3 (as implied) follows Scott & Bailey 2019, Scott & Bailey 2019- Part 2, and Scott & Bailey - Christmas Special. I love writing and these characters so I'm just gonna keep going until someone says stop. Lol Enjoy!
(January 2020. Gill's flat. In the kitchen, Charlotte's laughter can be heard. Her and Gill have retired to the living room and Orla, Rachel and Sammy are tidying up. The Murray family did this every week, it's been decided that Rachel and Charlotte join them every other week. Their routine has become, Orla washes the dishes, Rachel was excluded from that task because of the persistently open wound on her thumb, so she's on drying to avoid getting her plaster wet, then she hands the plates off to Sammy who knows where they go and "how Mum likes them." As Rachel dries a decorative wine glass, she has a flash of memory.)
(1993. Thirteen year old Rachel grips the sides of the kitchen sink with both hands, she struggles against the pressure of her father, who has a grip on her hair and is pushing her face down towards the dirty dishes. Her nose is centimeters from grazing the slime off a day old spaghetti plate.)
Dad: Your sister does all the hard graft and you're just gonna let the sink fill up like this?
Rachel: It's not my week. It's Dom's. I've got the bathroom. (His grip on her is suddenly released and her head pops up away from the sink.)
Dad: What did you say?
Rachel: (wipes some spaghetti slime from her nose before turning around) Dom's on dishes this week. I've got the bathroom. It's not my- (She sees him tug his belt buckle. More words probably wouldn't help at this point.) It's not my week. It's not my responsibility. (In one effortless well practiced motion, the leather slides through the loops.) I don't mind doing them. I can. I will.
Dad: You're bloody right you will.
Rachel: I can do it now. (She turns quickly to face to the sink but she knows well that his mind is already made up.) Ah. (He grips her hair again, pulling her away from the sink.)
Dad: Right after you learn a lesson about responsibility.
(Lost in thought Rachel may have shoved too much dish cloth in the glass and the sound of the glass snapping brings her back.)
Rachel: Shit! (She examines how bad the break is. The design has splintered up to the rim.)
Sammy: Uh oh. (Rachel looks to him quickly as he steps over to observe the break.) She's had these for ages.
Rachel: Shit.
Orla: Are you alright? You didn't cut yourself did you?
Rachel: Uh, I don't think- (She looks at her hand. She did. It was minor but there was blood.)
Gill: What's going on? (enters the kitchen) Charlotte thinks she heard some bad words in here.
Rachel: (turns around quickly to face Gill.) I'm sorry Gill. I broke your glass. (Rachel holds up the glass to show her.)
Gill: Hm. (Gill observes it and then looks to Rachel.) Can't stick you on washing. Can't stick you on drying. I'm running out of jobs for you. (Sammy laughs and continues putting away what has already been dried.)
Rachel: I'm sorry. I can, I can replace it.
Gill: It was a wedding present from 100 years ago.
Rachel: I can pay for it.
Gill: (carefully takes the glass and walks to the recycling.) Nevermind. I never liked the person who gave them to me anyway. Besides, they were cheap. I started with a set of six. Looks like we're down to three now.
Rachel: I am sorry. (Sammy grabs to cloth to begin drying what Orla is handing over.)
Gill: It's alright.
Sammy: You are bleeding. (He holds up the cloth with a tiny spot of blood.)
Gill: Did you cut yourself?
Rachel: (holds up her pinky finger) Only a slice.
Gill: (Eyes widen) Why wouldn't you lead with that? Here let me see.
Rachel: It's fine. I've seen worse. (Gill gently holds Rachel's wrist up examining the injury.)
Gill: It's not bad. Stay here. I'll grab you a plaster. (Rachel lets out a laugh and a wide smile of relief brightens her face.) I reckon I've got plain and Disney Princess.
Rachel: Surprise me. (When Gill begins walking out of the room, Charlotte jumps up from the settee to follow her. The toddler does a long strided walk, which has been making Orla and Rachel laugh all evening. It was Charlotte's best attempt to walk as quickly as possible without being reminded not to run in the house or that people live downstairs.)
Sammy: God, I hope she brings back a princess plaster. Imagine the piss-take at work.
Rachel: (chuckles) Shut up.
Orla: Come wash it out. (Rachel goes over to the sink and washes the blood away.)
Sammy: Ah, I hope it's Cinderella.
Rachel: (laughs) I don't care. I'll wear it. If it's what Charlie picks.
Sammy: (throws the dish towel over his shoulder) Your Majesty. May I call you, 'Your Majesty'?
Rachel: Stop. (She playfully shoves him and he laughs returning to his chore. She smiles looking at him but struggles holding her smile after awhile. Looking at the dark mess of hair, only made her think how differently Dom might have turned out if he had had just one decent parent.)
Gill: (heard before turning the corner) Are you walking?
Charlotte: (enters the room) Yes Aunt Gill.
Sammy: Aw Brill, I can't wait. What've you brought Mummy then?
Charlotte: A plaster. (She holds up the plaster for Rachel. Gill enters the room and returns to the group in the kitchen.)
Rachel: Cheers darling. Tah, Gill.
Charlotte: Do you need me to kiss it?
Rachel: That always helps. (She opens the plaster paper and smirks.)
Sammy: What've we got? (Rachel reveals a 'Belle' plaster. Sammy makes a fist and pulls it towards his chest.) Yes!
Rachel: This is perfect. Thank you, love. (She puts the plaster on and then kneels. She holds up her finger allowing Charlotte to 'kiss it better' and then stands.) Throw these papers away for Mummy?
Charlotte: What do we say?
Rachel: Please?
Charlotte: Thank you. (Charlotte takes the papers and goes to the bin.)
Gill: (Proudly pats Charlotte's head) That's my girl. We'll teach Mummy manners, won't we?
Charlotte: Yes, Aunt Gill. (Rachel laughs to herself thinking how different Gill's teaching methods were to her father's.)
(The next afternoon, MIT Office. Rachel hangs up her desk phone and picks up her mobile. She texts Janet who has mysteriously disappeared from the office again. It was becoming a habit and Rachel didn't like the implication of it. Although Janet assured her that she had nothing to worry about with her and Melligan and Melligan's harsh behavior towards her inclined Rachel to believe her.)
Rachel: (text) I need you back. We've got a body. I've got to get to the scene ASAP. I'm taking Sammy and Anna. (Rachel waits and two long minutes pass with no response. She sighs. She'll have to change that plan. She'll need to leave Sammy to level out the productivity. If she took him away without Janet present, things might slip. Rachel pulls on her coat and steps a foot out into the rest of the office as she wraps her scarf around.) Anna, Denise, we've got a fresh one. We've got to go now. Lee, I can't wait for Janet to get back from wherever she's gone. Keep this lot in order will ya?
Lee: Certainly ma'am.
Rachel: Thank you Lee. (She touches his shoulder and then goes back to her office to grab her bag. Anna quickly gathers her things and encourages Denise to do the same, knowing that Rachel, already 80% ready, won't wait for them. Rachel grabs her bag and then steps back to Lee.) Actually Lee, can I have a word with you? (Lee nods and follows Rachel into the office.)
Lee: Door open or-
Rachel: Open's fine. (She steps close to him and speaks softly.) Can I ask you a…(she struggles for a moment thinking of the right words) a rather unorthodox favor? (Lee raises his eyebrows at the proposition, unsure about what she may say next.) It won't get you into any trouble. I just, and obviously you can say 'no' but please don't say anything about it, once I ask you. Alright?
Lee: (clears his throat and lowers his eyebrows) Ok.
Rachel: Can you let me know when Janet gets back? And if she leaves again? She's been in and out the past few days and I can't be having it. It undermines my position, her just, going off and doing what she likes. I'm going to have another word with her about it but if you don't mind just being my eyes and ears when I'm not here?
Lee: I don't want to get Janet in trouble.
Rachel: (smirks and shakes her head) Lee, this is Janet. Of course you won't be. But I can't fix the problem if I don't know what it is. And I can't have it developing into a Pete-sized problem either. She's my Sargent. If she doesn't respect me-
Lee: I understand ma'am.
Rachel: Thank you Lee. (He nods dutifully. She exits her office and he follows. She points over to Neal.) Especially keep an eye on that one. (Neal shrugs and smiles, feigning innocence. Lee puts two fingers to his eyes and then points them at Neal, suggesting he's keeping his eye on him. This gets a few chuckles.) Right, let's go. (She barely looks in Anna and Denise's direction to detect their readiness and walks towards the office's exit, as assumed, ready to go with or without them.)