Disclaimers and info in chapter 1. Sorry this has been so long in making.

"Really? I hate being the last to know everything," announced a voice from behind them.

Five shocked faces turned to face the intruder, who grinned at their reactions, "What? Don't I even get a hello now?"

Grace jumped up from her chair, "Frankie! Oh, we've missed you."

Frankie returned Grace's hug, "I missed you guys too."

Grace held her at arms length, inspecting her, "So why are you back?"

"Top secret at the moment, I'm afraid," the younger woman answered, then turned her attention to the man coming towards her and enveloping him in her arms, "Spencer!"

Spencer stepped out of the embrace more quickly than Grace had, aiming to maintain his professional appearance, but he still smiled at the doctor and welcomed her back wholeheartedly.

Boyd watched Frankie greet the member of the team she knew, before making eye contact with her. He wasn't sure where they stood. If they were still friends or if they had destroyed that. One night had changed their relationship, and he couldn't be sure it hadn't been completely eradicated.

A year ago

Frankie's lab

"Are you going to be okay by yourself, Grace?" Boyd asked, seeing the grief the woman was suffering.

"Yes, I'll be fine, thanks. See you tomorrow," she replied, smiling.

"Okay, night," he relented.

"Night, Grace," Frankie said, from the other side of her lab.

"How about you, Spence, how are you bearing up?" Boyd turned his attention to the youngest member of his team.

Spencer smiled, "My mum heard about Mel, so she's come to stay with me. It sounds stupid, but it's nice to have someone there."

"Of course. See you tomorrow," Boyd agreed.

With Grace and Spencer gone, Boyd turned to Frankie, who was busying herself with cleaning. The case was finished, and now she was preparing her equipment for the next morning when there would, no doubt, be another pile of work to get on with.

"Frankie, leave that until the morning," he encouraged, walking over to her.

"No, it's okay. It wont take me long. You get off home," she replied, deliberately not looking at him, but Boyd could tell from her voice that she was crying. He reached out and took hold of her arm to stop her rubbing the worktop away, and she looked at him.

"Why her, Boyd? What had she ever done?" she weakly through tears, as he reached out to pull her towards him.

"It's a cruel world. Nobody deserves that to happen to them, but we've done our best. We've caught the person that did it, so at least he will get what's coming to him," Boyd tried to comfort her, not really sure what he should have been saying.

"It wont bring her back though, will it?" she replied, more calm now.

Boyd didn't answer her question, "Come on, I'll take you home."