"Where the hell are you, Boyd?" Frankie forgoing the usual hello as soon as he answered the call.
"Trying to park the bloody car. I haven't missed it have I?" The anger in his tone as he swore under his breath at another driver.
"No, their running late. You probably have fifteen minutes tops. Just hurry up okay." Not bothering to say bye either when she hung up.
"What the hell does she think I'm doing." Boyd said to himself as he finally parked the car and got out.
He walked as fast as he could through the hospital, giving up on the lift as it was full. He was pleased that at his age he could run up a few flights of stairs and not be out of breath. As he pushed the doors open on the third floor he looked around trying to work out where the hell he was supposed to be going. He had just followed Frankie when they were here the last time, now he had to actual pay attention. He finally spotted a small sign on the wall pointing in the direction he needed.
"Frankie." Boyd managed to say just as a midwife appeared and called Frankie name.
"Your bloody Lucky." Frankie laughed as she stood up, taking Boyds hand and leading them both over to the door the midwife was stood in.
Boyd sat in the chair beside the bed as Frankie climbed on and shifted her clothes about. She reached out for Boyds hand as the gel was squirted on her abdomen, both looking at the screen above the bed. A few minutes later a fuzzy black and white image appeared on the screen they were both staring at.
"There we go, everything still growing as it should be. Would you like to know the sex?" The screen above the bed go blank as the midwife waited for an answer.
"Do you want to know what we're having?" Frankie asked as she lay with feet in Boyds lap.
"What?" Boyd asked, not really taking much notice as he read the morning paper.
"The baby, boy or girl, do you want to find out?" Putting the book she was reading down.
Boyd considered the question before folding the paper up and placing it on Frankie's feet.
"I didn't care what it is. We can't trade it in, we get what we made. As long as both of you are okay then I'm happy." Placing a hand on Frankie's knee and squeezing.
"That's all well and good, but do you want to find out? We've hit the magic twenty weeks, so at the next scan we can find out if it's pink or blue." Watching as Boyd again looked deep in thought.
"Frankie, if you want to know then we can find out. If your happy not knowing then we won't, I'll leave it up to you." Hoping that Frankie would be happy to make the choice without him.
What he didn't tell her was the reason why he wasn't sure he wanted to know . With Luke he hadn't known until he was born, the surprise lasting until his first son was born. With Matt, Jen had phoned him to tell him immediately after coming out her twenty week scan. He had twenty weeks to get used to the idea he would have another son, twenty weeks to work out how to not screw it up. Now here he was, at the same crossroads, his girlfriend twenty weeks pregnant and the boy, girl debate starting again.
"Boyd, What is it? What's really going on?" Frankie sensing something more was bothering him as she sat up and moved beside him on the settee.
Boyd sucked in a deep breath, held it, then blew it out slowly. Frankie slid her arm over his waist and cuddled up to him, his arm instinctively sliding around her shoulder.
"What if we're having a boy?" His voice low and for once uncertain.
"If we have a boy we have a boy. As you said we can't swap them. I know no matter what we have you," shifting slightly so she could look him in the eyes, "will be an amazing dad." Her hand raising to place a finger on his lips before he could reply. "You are not a bad father, don't even go there again. We are different, our situation is different. Our child will be different." Her eyes never leaving his as she spoke.
"Okay." The word blowing across her finger as she smiled up at him.
"No, we can wait another twenty weeks and see for ourselves." Frankie answering the question for both of them.
She turned to look at Boyd, smiling as he squeezed her hand.
"That's fine. I'm all done then, here's your pictures, and some tissue to clean up with." The midwife passing Frankie the blue roll and the pictures to Boyd as she switched the overhead light on.
"Thanks," they both said as Frankie wiped her abdomen and Boyd carefully placed the pictures in his pocket.
They left the hospital hand in hand, Frankie smiling from ear to ear as Boyd led them to the car. Boyd held the door open for Frankie to get in, closing it when she was seated. He opened his door and pulled out the pictures from the hospital, passing them to Frankie as he sat down. Frankie took the pictures and sat flicking through them, the smile on her face grew as she looked at each one. Boyd drove them back to the cold case units office, parking the car and turning to look at Frankie. She was still sat smiling, her finger grazing over one of the pictures.
"Shall we go show the others?" Boyd's voice breaking through her haze.
"Yeah, but you look first." Passing the pictures to Boyd so he could look at them.
Boyd looked over the black and white pictures, the difference in size from the first time they had seen the baby very noticeable. He stopped when he came to one with just the baby's head, a side view showing a perfect profile. He caught himself mirroring Frankie's gesture, his finger ghosting over the picture. That was their baby, his baby. Frankie had been right, it didn't matter if it was a girl or a boy, he would do his best to be a good dad. He had learnt from his past mistakes, learnt that he had to give as well as take. He passed the pictures back to Frankie, his fingers grazing hers as he did.
"Now we can show the others." Frankie smiled as she took the pictures and opened the car door.
When they entered the cold case units squad room everyone turned to look who was coming in. Boyd held the door open for Frankie, who was instantly pounced on by Mel.
"Let me see, let me see." Her infectious smile making Frankie smile.
Frankie handed the pictures to Mel as Boyd let the door shut behind him. He walked passed Mel and Frankie as Mel squealed excitedly over the pictures, Frankie pointing out different body parts. Spencer just shook his head, returning to stare at his computer. Grace heard the commotion from her office, looking out to see Mel stood with Frankie looking between the pictures in her hand and down at Frankie's bump.
"I can't believe the difference since your last scan. Just look at that profile, it's perfect." Mel gushing over the baby pictures.
Grace couldn't help smiling, seeing the bond between the two women and knowing how far they had come since they first meet.
"So I can give you this now." Mel again squealing as she moved back to her desk and pulled out a gift bag from under it.
Mel handed the bag to Frankie, which Frankie took cautiously. She opened the bag as Grace came out of her office, stopping to stand behind Mel. Boyd was stood leaning against his office door frame, watching the exchange between Mel and Frankie.
"Ohhh, Mel." Frankie managed to say as she opened the bag and pulled out its contents.
Frankie held up the two small baby grows, the words 'mummy loves me' on one and 'daddy loves me' on the other. Frankie's eyes filled with tears, the words reminding her she was indeed going to be a mum. She turned the baby grows around so Boyd could see them both, then walked up to Mel and hugged her tightly.
"Thanks, Mel." Her crying making it a little hard to understand.
"I couldn't find one with auntie Mel loves me on so I went with them instead." Seeing Frankie and Grace laugh.
Boyd stood up straight and pulled a hankie from his pocket, walking towards Frankie and passing her it. Frankie took it, dabbing at her face and eyes with.
Boyd walked around Frankie to beside Mel "Thank you, Mel." Patting Mel on the shoulder as he stood beside her.
"No problem. I've put an order in for the auntie Mel one though, with matching bib and vest of course." Suddenly becoming very self-conscious when Boyd thanked her.
"And we love auntie Mel." The crying finally easing off as Frankie gave Mel another quick squeeze before letting go.
Just then the phone rang causing everyone to pause, work breaking through the little bubble of normal life. Spencer answered it, everyone looking at him as he spoke.
"Okay, Yeah, we're on our way." Spence hanging the phone up and standing up.
"Body discovered in an abandoned warehouse. Apparently, it looks old so we got the call." Spencer picking his jacket up as he handed Boyd the address he had just wrote down.
"And back to work we go. Frankie meet you outside in five." Boyd to.d Frankie as everyone moved around getting ready to leave.
"Make it ten, please." Folding the baby grows up and putting them back in the bag.
"Ten minutes then, everyone got that." Looking over his team as everyone switched into work mode.
A chorus of Yes boss coming from at least two of the four people stood looking at him.
Normal had been fun for a morning, but now detective superintendent Peter Boyd was needed, along with forensic pathologist Doctor Frankie Wharton. Baby's and pregnancy put on the back burner as work came first.