5.06 continues! I'm hoping to wrap up this episode in the next chapter and move forward with Alice's sister (and the coming Baby Blake!), thank you so much for hanging with me the past few weeks, I've been unemployed and as such don't have much motivation to actually write as often as I did before the pandemic. Reviews and comments are heartily welcomed! - Dee
When Matthew woke the next morning, Alice was already sitting up in bed; she leaned up against the headboard with a book propped up on her knees, and Matthew sighed.
"How much sleep did you get?" he asked her softly as he pushed himself up to slump against her side - his head ending up on her shoulder.
"Not much," Alice whispered and leaned her head against his, "but I did sleep most of the afternoon, so that's probably why."
"You're sure?"
He felt her nod - her hair tickling his forehead as she marked her place in the book and set it aside.
"No nightmares… yet."
"You'd wake me if you needed to, right?" Matthew kissed her neck as she shifted and wrapped her arms around him.
"I will, I promise."
"Good," he kissed her neck again and leaned back to catch her fond smile; when he leaned in to kiss her fully, a knock on the door interrupted.
"Breakfast is ready!" Jean called through the door, and Alice giggled when Matthew slumped against her with a groan.
"As much as I enjoy not having to cook in the mornings, I am looking forward to having our own house, sweetheart."
"It is getting a bit crowded here, is it not?" she teased as Matthew smoothed his hands up her bare legs and under the pajama top she'd stolen for bed that night. "No privacy… though you know Anna will pick the most inopportune times to come in at the house once we've moved in."
"She at least knows to knock like Jean."
Alice giggled again and pulled him in for a kiss, sighing into it as Matthew slid his arms around her waist.
"Good morning, sweetheart."
"Good morning, my dear Matthew."
"Ready to face the day?"
She nodded and kissed him again, "I am. I'll hopefully get the test results for the items from the Worthington house you and Charlie brought the other day; other than that, I'll be in the morgue."
"Will you be taking Anna to school today, or am I?"
"I'll take her, dearest. Thank you for doing that yesterday."
"Of course, she's our daughter and I promised to help you raise her."
"Most men usually don't."
"Well," Matthew rolled her beneath him and dipped down for a kiss, "I'm not like most men, am I?"
"No, you most certainly are not," she giggled when he kissed her again, "but if we continue down this road, my dear Matthew, we might miss out on breakfast and I don't know about you, but I'm starving."
"So you don't want to continue down this road."
"I want food, you silly, randy man."
"I'll show you randy," Matthew nipped at her throat just to hear her gasp, but he got up off of her and pulled on his robe over his simple undershirt and the pajama pants that matched Alice's top.
"Maybe later is what I was implying," Alice sat up on her knees and pulled him in for a kiss by his robe.
"I'll hold you to it," he teased, but kissed her again. "C'mon, let's go get some food in you for the day."
With one last kiss, he and Alice left the bedroom - Alice bundled up in her own robe and his socks - to join Jean in the kitchen for another delicious breakfast before their day started.
"Good morning, Mumma," Anna hugged her mum as she entered the kitchen.
"Good morning, my darling girl," Alice kissed her forehead. "Let's get some breakfast for you and then I'll go help you get dressed for school today."
"Okay! Are you picking me up from school today?"
"I should be," Alice kissed her forehead again, "I'll call the school if anything pops up, alright?"
"Okay, Mumma! Can I sit with you?"
"You mean in my lap?"
"Yes."
"Alright, but no wallowing around, please."
Matthew chuckled at Alice's griping, but his fiance pulled their daughter up onto her lap just as Jean put plates of breakfast before them.
"Daddy, can you help me cut it?" Anna asked as Alice took a long, deep pull from her steaming cup of tea.
"Sure, sweetheart."
"Will you drop me off this morning?"
He paused in cutting up Anna's pancakes to think, "Y'know, I hadn't thought that far ahead about today."
"Daddy!"
Grinning as he finished cutting up her breakfast, Matthew kissed her forehead, "If nothing comes up, sweetheart, I'd be more than happy to go with you and your mum to drop you off at school this morning."
"Good, I like it when you can drop me off, Daddy."
"Good, I'll try to do it more often until you get sick of it when you're older."
"Daddy!"
Matthew chuckled and handed Anna her fork as Alice poured him a cup of tea, "Eat your breakfast, sweetheart, it's good for you."
"You eat too," his daughter replied as she stuck a forkful of pancakes in her mouth.
"Yes, ma'am!"
Jean collected their empty plates as they finished - shooing them out of the kitchen so she could get Lucien's breakfast ready; Alice herded their daughter upstairs to get ready.
"Want me to pull out your clothes for the day?" he asked her as she and Anna reached the landing.
"Yes, please!" she called down. "Thank you!"
He limped into their bedroom and pulled out his favorite green dress of hers before he got dressed in his uniform for the day; Alice slipped in some time later with a smile and a sigh.
"She insisted on doing her socks and shoes herself, as well as her hair ribbon, so I've been banished back down here."
"Good, you can help me with my tie," he teased as she hurriedly put on her undergarments and slip.
"You're a grown man, dearest," Alice scoffed, but came over and straightened his tie out anyways.
He caught her by her hips before she could flit back over to the wardrobe to finish getting dressed.
"What is it?" Alice asked him softly.
"You sure you're alright?"
She nodded and wound her arms around his neck, "I promise, Matthew, though I'll admit that I would feel better if this case was over."
"I think we all will, sweetheart," Matthew kissed her softly and held her close. "I'm hoping we will in the next few days."
"Good… we need to solve this."
"And we will, but first you have to get dressed and so do I."
Patting his cheek with a smile, Alice kissed him and slipped from his arms to pull on her dress for the day; as he finished buttoning up his uniform jacket, Anna knocked on the door and peered in after Alice called for her to enter.
"Mumma?"
"Yes, Anna?" her mother asked as she applied her lipstick.
"I can't tie my shoes."
Hiding a smile as Alice met his eyes in the mirror, Matthew lifted Anna up onto their bed.
"I've got this, Alice, you finish up."
Two shoes tied, and one hair ribbon fixed later, the future Lawsons were on their way to Ballarat West; they waved Anna off after a round of hugs - and a promise to try and pick her back up this afternoon - both of them watching until they saw her enter the building.
"I'll drop you off at the station," Alice leaned up against him as Anna waved back at them before slipping inside - her best friend Gideon by her side.
"Thank you, sweetheart."
All too soon, they were at the station, but Matthew leaned in for one last kiss of the morning - wanting to draw out the moments between Matthew and Superintendent.
"Have a good day, Matthew."
"You too," he smiled against her lips and snuck in another kiss before Alice giggled and shoved him towards the door. "Love you."
"I love you too," Alice smiled and waved as he walked into the station - ready to start another day.
"Where's Daddy?" Anna asked as she hugged Alice around her waist.
"Oh, I see where I rank in importance today," Alice teased as she picked up her daughter and held her close. "Daddy is still at the station, and I have some test results to drop off to him, but first we're having tea with Auntie Jean."
"Okay, can I come to the station with you?"
"Sure," she kissed Anna's cheek. "But you can't look at any autopsy photos, young lady."
Her daughter pouted, but she nodded as Alice put her in the back seat.
"How was school today?" Alice asked as she waved to Gideon's mother and Anna's teacher. "How's the bean plant?"
"Mine's the biggest!"
"Really? Are you thinking of being a botanist?"
"What's that?"
"Someone who studies plants, like how I study people."
"Dead people, Mumma, I don't study dead plants."
Alice smiled, "So you also don't want to study dead people."
"Mumma, you're silly."
"Well?"
"I don't know," her daughter giggled.
"Don't let your Uncle Lucien hear that, he's got his heart set on you taking over for the two of us when you're older, so we can retire in peace."
"Mumma!"
Alice laughed as she pulled into the Blakes' drive, "I'm teasing, Anna, you can study whatever you want. Time for tea, silly girl."
Anna skipped into the house and greeted Jean with a hug - telling her all about the bean plant and what she did at school and recess that day while Alice finished up tea for all three of them.
"Thank you, Alice," Jean smiled and took the cup from her friend.
"You're welcome."
"How was work?" she asked as Anna clambered up onto a chair and had her glass of milk (with a splash of tea).
"Good, I have test results to take to Matthew once we're done with tea. No," she held up a hand when Jean opened her mouth, "I haven't received those yet, but I think I will soon."
"What test results, Mumma?"
Inwardly cursing her daughter's curiosity, Alice smiled and pushed the plate of shortbread towards Anna, "I have some other tests going that's not related to the case, my girl, and you're not to tell anyone you heard that."
"Oooh, a secret?" Anna brightened up - making both Alice and Jean chuckle. "I like secrets."
"Secrets are fun, and hopefully this won't remain a secret much longer, but right now it's between us three, alright?"
"Yes, Mumma."
"Swear?" Alice held out her pinky and smiled when Anna hooked hers around it. "Good girl."
"When are we going to see Daddy?"
"When Auntie Jean and I are finished with our tea and catching up."
"Mumma…" her daughter sighed and laid her head down on the table.
"Head off the table, please, and it won't be that long," Jean promised as she plucked a shortbread from the plate.
"Where's Lucien?"
"Oh…" Jean sighed and sat back in her chair, "he snuck out a few hours ago with Rose and thinks I don't know."
Alice hid her snicker in her cup of tea.
"He also thinks if he stays away, I can't get mad at him for sneaking out and rupturing his stitches."
"How'd he do that?"
Jean shrugged.
"If I see him at the station, should I tell him to go home?"
"Please, he might actually listen to you."
Alice shared a look with Jean and both of them dissolved into a fit of giggles.
"I'll try my best, Jean."
"Good, thank you. And you'll tell me the second you know about those test results?"
"I will hand deliver them to you, Jean," Alice promised as she got up from the table. "Thank you for the tea, and try not to smite Lucien when he comes home."
"No guarantee and you know it, Alice."
She chuckled and helped Anna down from the table, "C'mon, Anna, let's go see Daddy."
"Yay!"
Laughing as they walked out of the house, Alice swiped the test results folder from her car and let Anna swing their joined hands and skip along the pavement - sometimes hopping up on benches or barriers as they did.
"Careful there, Anna."
"I am, Mumma, Miss Roslin says I have the best balance in the class."
"Did she?" Alice grinned as she swept Anna up into her arms - careful not to get the folder crumpled. "So maybe not a botanist, but a gymnast?"
"Mumma, you're silly."
"Today, I am!"
She set down Anna just outside the door and gave her a quick once over - fixing her uniform and tucking a stray curl behind Anna's ear, "Ready?"
"Yes!"
"Alright, no peeking at any autopsy photos, remember?"
"I promise."
"Good girl," Alice smiled as they entered the police station; a new constable was at the desk, Alice nodded to him as she and Anna passed towards the bullpen. Both Matthew and Lucien stood behind Matthew's desk, and it was Matthew who spotted them first.
"Alice," he smiled - it widened when Anna ran up to him and hugged him. "Hello, Anna. Have a good day at school?"
"Uh-huh! Mumma has test results for you."
Smiling, Alice held up the folder in her hand, "Tests on the items from the Worthington house were either negative or inconclusive."
Constable Simmons walked up next to her - a brown paper bag rustling in his hands as he pulled out a chili.
"You were right about the Chinese market, Boss; one of them sold some of these to a young woman a week ago."
"They look very similar to the pieces I found in Charlotte's digestive tract," Alice nodded as Anna reached out to poke at the chili. "Anna."
"You said I couldn't look at the photos, Mumma."
"I wouldn't touch that either."
"Okay," she pouted and returned to Matthew's side.
"Right," Matthew sighed, "so we talk to Christine and then Sally."
"Righto," Lucien smiled - it faltered when he finally looked at Alice. "Yes?"
"Go home, Lucien."
"Well, I-"
"Go. Home."
He deflated a little as Constable Simmons walked away while Matthew sat behind his desk and pulled Anna up onto his good knee.
"Is she terribly mad at me, Alice?"
"That's for Jean to tell you, Lucien, not me."
"Alright," he sighed again. "I promise I'll go home once we interview these girls."
"Good, I'll see both of you there. Anna, ready to go back to the house, or do you want to stay here?"
"Can I stay here if I'm good?"
"I'm alright with that. Daddy has to go do some interviews, you have to promise that you will do as you're told."
"I promise, Mumma."
"Good," Alice smiled when Anna rounded the desk to hug her. "There should be something around here you can do while he finishes up work."
"I've got some blank paper and a spare set of crayons, sweetheart," Matthew supplied as he pulled out a small stack of spare paper and the worn crayons from his desk. "Simmons?"
"Yes, Boss?"
"Can you keep an eye on Miss Harvey here while Blake and I conduct a couple of interviews? It won't be long."
"Sure, Boss," Constable Simmons smiled.
Alice leaned down and kissed Anna's forehead before she let her daughter step away, "Be good, Anna."
"I promise, Mumma."
With one last wave, Alice left them in the station and headed back home; she knew Jean wouldn't be surprised that she was returning without Lucien, but maybe he'd heed her warning and return before dinner.