Thank you to everyone who reviewed my last cahpter I'm glad you like my fic and I do hope you enjoy this chapter !
When Smithy got into the car, out of earshot of others, he grinned and said "You make it back to home base?"
"Yeah. The girls' toilets are really a great home base."
"I know. Callum saw me trying to follow, in the end mine was quite good, my home base was the custody desk, Romeo didn't suspect a thing when he stopped and asked where you were."
"What do you think then?" Stevie asked eagerly.
"I think that Neil and Grace being together is great station gossip, but for now we can have some fun teasing them. What do ya say? You up for it Moss?" Smithy joked knowing that she'd do more to annoy them as she worked alongside them.
"More up for it then you are mate." Stevie scorned.
"You wanna bet?"
"Yeah, see who can pull the most pranks on them then." They stopped off at Kippling Road and headed down to where uniformed officers were taking statements, and shook hands before getting out. Both giving each other the 'yeah-right-like-you'll-be-able-to look'.
"Yep and now we've only got an hour before we can get off to the pub so lets quickly wrap up this robbery, shall we?"
"We shall."
He headed down to where he could see Nate, Ben, Sally, Emma and Will and almost groaned aloud when he saw Callum behind them taking a statement. Just my luck. He thought, as Callum looked up and grinned before he could pretend to be busy with something else.
"Something the matter Sarge? Not keeping more secrets are we?" He said and he could see the effect he was having on Smithy, who was looking nervously at Emma, Sally, Nate and Ben who were all watching their little exchange with great interest, almost looking like they were wishing for popcorn to appear so they could sit down and watch a fight that they thought was about to kick off.
"No we're not." Smithy scowled, casting a glance towards Stevie.
"So you admit there is a 'we'" Callum smirked, trapping Smithy in his own words as he too took a wistful glance towards Stevie, who was talking to Jo about the case.
"Shut up or the bets off and I won't even come to the pub." Smithy teased as he saw Callum's annoyed face, like I'd miss a trip down the pub with a free beer on my head.
"Fine fine whatever but you can't deny that she and him aren't involved." He said and Smithy took that to mean Stevie and Neil and shook his head disbelievingly.
"See you later Stone." He said smiling at Sally, Nate, Emma and Ben's disgruntled faces, at not being able to work out what their Sergeants were on about.
It was the end of the shift for Neil and for the first time since Jake got ill he wasn't last to leave the room. He grabbed his coat and left for home, wondering the last time he'd had a good nights sleep.
It was half past six and he was still in his room trying to decide what to wear, see this is why I don't go to any of these damn things I'm acting like a stupid little girl, he didn't know weather to wear a suit, that's much too work like for a pub, or jeans, much too un-work like to wear while I'm hanging round work colleges, in the end he decided on black trousers and a blue shirt, Smart casual, he thought before checking his watch and grabbing his coat and keys, heading to pick Grace up.
Grace was waiting in her kitchen with a cup of coffee in her hand when the bell rang; she felt butterflies in her stomach before grabbing her coat and mobile and heading to the door.
She opened the door with a smile plastered on her face, "Hey N-"She said before realizing it was Stevie and Smithy. "Are you waiting for someone?" Stevie asked mischievously, with Smithy behind her with an almost identical grin.
"N-no of course not." Grace said, annoyed that they were here and wondering what was the reason behind their visit. "But what the hell are you guys doing here?" She added, checking her watch.
"Now now that's not a nice way to address your colleges that only came to offer you a lift to the pub." Smithy smirked. "Are you sure we're not interrupting anything?" He asked.
Grace was about to deny what she knew they were getting at when she heard the phone ring, seeing this as her escape she went and grabbed the phone off her coffee table, leaving Smithy and Stevie to come in of their own accord and make themselves at home, winking behind Grace's back while they did so, each trying to hide their knowing smirks, Smithy mouthing 'Good idea Moss.'.
"Hello?" Grace said, turning her back on Smithy and Stevie.
"Would you like to tell me what Smithy's car is doing on your drive?" Neil asked sounding quite amused yet at the same time irritated at being delayed.
"Look him and Stevie are here. How about I meet you at the pub?" She muttered hurriedly down the phone.
"Okay." She heard but she could also hear the faintest bit of disappointment in his voice.
"Love you." She said, and she smiled when she heard him laugh and echo 'I love you'.
"See you there, bye!" He said, sounding quite happier than before.
Smithy and Stevie grinned from the other side of the door, reveling in their own achievement as they put their glasses down, removing them from the place their ears had been hooked, listening to every word Grace had said. Stevie was right Smithy thought satisfied we would learn a lot from just spending a couple of minutes at Grace's.
"Okay, sounds like a lift would be a great idea, I just cancelled my taxi." Grace said, unaware that they had heard everything she'd just said on the phone, they shared another knowing glance before agreeing and leading grace to the car.
"Just out of interest, did you both come in this car?" Grace said, turning from the victim into the questioner of information, though they both seemed unfazed.
"Yeah we stopped round at Stevie's before heading to mine, what's the point in taking two cars when we can just take one?" Smithy shrugged the question away and Grace knew that if she had said that excuse about Neil giving her a lift it wouldn't have worked whereas when Smithy said it it sounded viable.
They talked non stop on their way to the pub and managed not to mention work, which was surprising as Grace was in the car, but two minutes away from the pub they finally approached the subject that Smithy and Stevie had been working up to the whole car journey.
"So…. Tell me, is the DI good in bed?" Stevie said bluntly, as Smithy laughed at Grace's obvious blush.
"Wow you're no master of subtlety are you Moss?" At which she just retorted "Nope and your point is?" Turning back to Grace she said "Come on how is he?"
Grace panicked "I don't know what you're talking about and- oh look we're here." She ended her sentence abruptly getting out of the car and slamming the door behind her.
"Way to go Moss. "Smithy smirked sarcastically.
"Like you could have done any better 'I have no emotions soldier Smith'." She said stickin her tongue out childishly.
"Well now she knows I know, you doofus." He laughed as they got out of the car walking towards the pub arms around each others waist.
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The pub will be next up, I promise ;)