The next few weeks were uneventful, work getting in the way of everything and, with Lucien gone, Dr Wallace wasn't making things all that easy for either Matthew or Alice. Alice was forever having to check, and in some cases, re-do some of the work and have to write a separate report for the investigation just so she didn't have to have the same heated discussion time and time again with Dr Wallace. She really did have a certain level of professional respect for the man but he was really trying her patience constantly. He clearly had had enough and was just covering for Lucien for old times' sake and maybe to get out of his wife's hair for a bit. Matthew had been busy with a big case from Melbourne that had something to do with an organised crime ring but apart from that he hadn't said much about the case.
One Friday morning, Matthew walked down to the morgue. Had made cheese and pickle sandwiches for him an Alice and two slices of apple pie. He'd gone home after work the previous night trying to switch his mind off the case and had made an apple pie and had wished that Alice was there to share it with him, To it in the quiet of the living room and eat their pie and relax in each other's company. Matthew sat in the living room alone, feeling like things were far too quiet with the Blake's off on their honeymoon. The camaraderie and laughter and discussion that filled the room when Jean and Lucien and him and Alice were there, having lunch or dinner or tea and cake. He missed it, he missed it all. It had been strange, this last year, what with Jean and Lucien getting engaged and Alice joining them more often at 7 Mycroft Avenue. When he really thought about it, he realised quite how much he enjoyed Alice's company, how much he had missed not seeing her these last few weeks and pondering over that night after the Tyneman's cocktail party. She looked so lovely and smelled so good. No lingering aromas of antiseptic from the hospital, only her perfume and her shampoo. When he was putting Alice in the taxi to take her home, Matthew had to hold himself back from kissing her. He really wanted to but Alice always seemed so unsure and nervous when it was just them and he didn't want to push her into something that she might regret later or something that she didn't want at all. Matthew knew that Alice had had it tough growing up. Between what she had told him herself and what he had heard Lucien mention to Jean, he knew her father was abusive and that she had been taken into care when she was 12 years old. He knew, form Lucien, that he suspected that she had been abused some way in the care home but how, he wasn't sure. She'd had a pretty shitty childhood and he never asked her questions about it. He didn't want to pry, if she didn't want to talk about it but he knew that if Alice wanted to talk about it, she would do it when she felt comfortable enough to do so. Matthew didn't want to be another bastard in the long line of bastards who had made her life difficult, so he went slowly and hoped that one day she would realise how much she actually meant to him and how special she really was.
As Matthew walked up to the door of the morgue, he could hear hushed voices; one of them was definitely male and it sounded serious but he couldn't quite make out what was being said. He abruptly knocked on the door. He hadn't meant to knock with such force but it had happened now. As he opened the door, he saw a large man, in Alice's personal space, and both had clearly been startled by the interruption. The man stepped back and said "I'll leave it with you Dr Harvey. I'm sure you'll do the right thing" and with that, he walked quickly passed Matthew and left. Matthew walked over towards where Alice was standing and said "Alice? Are you alright? You look a bit pale. Who was the big guy?" Alice looked at Matthew, wishing that he could read her mind. Wishing that she could tell him exactly who the man was and why he was there but that could cost both her and Matthew their lives.
"No one special. He's involved with an autopsy I did a few weeks ago but I told him to contact the police for the information he was looking for." Matthew didn't ask when Alice didn't volunteer any more information but he was certain that there was something more to the conversation that she was letting on. Matthew looked at Alice and saw, what he thought was an element of ear on her face and a look he hadn't quite seen on her before. Matthew wasn't quite sure what to say. To stop the silence, Alice asked, in as cheery a voice as she could muster, "what can I do for you chief superintendent?" Matthew said "I hope you haven't eaten yet?" Alice looked at him and said no, she hadn.t. With that, Matthew pulled up a stool next to her desk and pulled out the two cheese and pickle sandwiches and took two glasses from the bench. He turned to Alice and lifted up the glassware and said "tell me these are clean? Please? I don't dare think about what could have been in them" Both he and Alice laughed at this and as she walked over, took the glasses from Matthew and rinsed them under the sink. "They're perfectly clean and perfectly suitable to hold drinking water, if that's what you want them for?". Matthew took the glasses to dry them and filled them with water from the tap before ushering Alice over to her desk. "If you eat all of your sandwich, I have apple pie for afters" Matthew said. Alice looked at him and saw a cheeky smile cross his face. "Is it shop bought or did you make it yourself" she asked. "Definitely home made this time" Matthew said "I did promise you I'd make something next time!". Alice laughed. They ate their sandwiches and pie and drank the water. Alice felt so much better after spending time with Matthew over lunch. She wanted to tell him everything, wanted to ask for help, wanted him to know what was going on but she couldn't. She knew her life was in danger but she'd sure as hell do her very best to make sure that Matthew was not dragged into this mess because of her.
As she tidied up and put the remnants of lunch into the bin, Alice thanked Matthew for bringing the sandwiches and thanked him for the homemade pie. Alice looked at Matthew and said "Matthew?" She really thought about what she was going to say to him; willed him to ask her what was going on, what was wrong with her but she came out with "thank you for making the pie, it was delicious and…thank you for allowing me to share it with you. This was just what I needed. It's been such a long few weeks." When Matthew looked at Alice, he thought she looked like she had unshed tears in her eyes and Matthew reached out to touch her arm. Alice turned away from him and at that Matthew continued towards her. Even though she turned away, Matthew tried again and said "Alice? Talk to me? What's wrong?" She tried really hard not to cry as she looked at Matthew. He looked so genuine, like he really wanted to help her. "I…I…" she was trying her best to get something out but her voice was failing her. Matthew touched her arms and ran his hand down to hold her hand. "Alice? Talk to me. Please?" Just as she was about to say something, someone knocked on the door. At this, Alice turned around to face her desk and raised her voice and said "yes?". One of the porters entered the room and said "Dr Harvey, I've got another one for you. Will I put him in the fridge?" The porter went to hand Alice the report and paperwork but Matthew intervened and took the report and placed it on the desk in front of her. As the porter left he said "Doc? You alright?" Alice looked at him and said "yes, thank you. Just a bit upset but I'm fine. I'll see you next time." Alice was amazed that he asked if she was ok. Perhaps she made more of an impression on people that she thought she did. Matthew waited until the porter had left and again, touched her arm, and said "Alice, are you free for dinner tonight? I'll cook. I still have leftover apple pie and I bought some chicken yesterday and I need to use it up. I'll make casserole. What do you think? Come after work. Shall we say 6pm?" Alice looked at Matthew's hand as he held her arm and she found it difficult to look any further than there. "Alice?" Alice eventually looked at Matthew's face and he said "6pm?". She nodded and tentatively placed her hand on top of Matthew's. "Thank you Matthew" and as quickly as she had placed her hand there, she had removed it and moved back toward the bench. Matthew realised that she was politely dismissing him and he said "I'll see you later" and left.