We do not own Eastenders, Ashes to Ashes, Waterloo Road, Doctors, Emmerdale or River City
Chapter 6
Shaz pulled up outside the Station and locked the car behind her and Chris. She smiled at Adam as she led Chris into the office and waved at Ginger as she sat down at her desk
"Morning," she said happily as she caught sight of the envelope on her desk. She sighed, probably some kind of order. She opened the envelope and her brow furrowed curiously at the 5 words. She bit her lip and folded the letter back up to place in her drawer underneath anything else. She glanced around and saw only Ginger and Chris in the office. Chris was her husband and incapable of blackmail, and Ginger was one of her best friends.
She bit her lip as she shut the drawer with a sharp snap.
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Rowan kept herself busy so she didn't think too much about Alyssa and how worried she was about her. She wished she could go with Alyssa.. She knew how it felt, not about losing a baby, but about having a reduced chance at having a baby.
"So, how's the bride to be?" Syed asked Rowan in a humorous tone. Rowan twisted her head around and stuck her tongue out at Syed.
"Oh, very mature," he snorted.
"I'm...um..." Rowan paused to think of the right words to use and then she looked at Syed and flashed him an evil grin. "Verywell satisfied," she said in a wicked tone and turned back to the food she was cooking.
"OH! I did not want to know that," Syed protested. Trevor burst into laughter as Rowan began to giggle. Her mood didn't stay light, though; Alyssa popped right back into her head.
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Ginger heard Shaz shut her drawer harder than usual and glanced over at her. He caught her gaze and tilted his head at her questioningly; wishing Chris would go and make himself a cup of tea.
Shaz glanced at Ginger and shook her head. She didn't know what the note was about. She didn't want to talk about it. What was she supposed to have done?
"Anyone fancy a cuppa?" Chris asked and glanced around. Ginger shook his head. Chris stood up and patted Shaz on the shoulder as he passed her.
"I'll bring one back for you," he said and kissed the top of her head before heading to the kitchen.
Ginger watched Chris leave and looked around. Only he and Shaz were in here, good. He quickly grabbed the note from his drawer and showed it to her before quickly stuffing it back.
"I think someone knows...you know...about us," he hissed at her. "You got one, too, didn't you?"
Shaz bit her lip and nodded in agreement. "It's got to be someone in the station," she commented. "I think it's safe to rule out Chris, he just isn't capable of something like this," she sighed.
"I don't know," Ginger said. "We only ever said anything the once and there was no one here."
He sighed. "I'll admit, I'm worried."
Shaz looked around and then moved her gaze back to Ginger.
"We say nothing," she decided. "If either of us gets anymore notes or anything then we tell the other," she told him.
"Agreed," Ginger said with a firm nod. "Hopefully, it's just another one of those station pranks and everyone has got one and it means nothing," he offered and sat back at his desk when he heard Chris' approaching footsteps.
Chris came in and put a mug down on Shaz' desk and then sat down at his own..
"Owt exciting going on today?" Chris wanted to know.
Ginger shook his head. "Nope."
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Gene stood outside the nursery with Sammy.
"Remember, you tell me straight away if owt happens in there, okay?" he reminded his son. "You don't tell Mummy, you tell me."
Sammy looked up at Gene and frowned at his father. He nodded regardless and hugged as much of Gene as he could. He turned his head to look at the door of the building and then clung to Gene even tighter.
"Can't I come to station?" he asked hopefully.
"No, I want you to go inside. I've taken care of things, so if anything happens, you let me know, understand?"
He gave Sammy a smile. "I'll see what I can do to get you picked up early."
Sammy looked up at his father and reluctantly nodded.
"Kay," he replied as he let go of Gene's leg and grabbed his little bag. He gave Gene as much of a smile as he could manage before heading towards the door.
Gene followed his son inside and made sure his son got in all right. He gave the woman at the desk a long look before turning and leaving. This bullying business would stop and no mistake. The Gene Genie would make it happen.
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Peter frowned as he watched Charlie mope around. He was going to scare away the punters if he kept that up. He walked over and went behind the bar where Charlie was restocking.
"Care to talk about it?" Peter asked him and Charlie looked at him in surprise.
"Not really, no," Charlie said.
"Look, I know it's hard adjusting to a new place and all, especially when you don't know anyone. Why don't you and Annie come round to mine and Molly's for dinner tonight?" he invited.
Charlie looked at him. "I dunno..."
"Oh, come on. Molly's a really good cook, she got trained by one of the best ones around here, have you been to that Walford Diner off the High Street?"
Charlie nodded. "The food was really good."
"Well, the woman who runs that place taught my Molly how to cook. So, come on, say you'll come round after work."
"Trouble is, Annie and I have had a row. So, while I appreciate the invitation..."
"Sorry," Peter said, realizing he might have put his foot in it.
"Look, I was trying to find reasons to stay here, but all this trouble with Annie...I don't know now if I can."
Peter put his hand on Charlie's arm. "Tell you what, you come round, just yourself, okay? I'll even see if I can't get a couple other people to join us, as well. Peggy really needs good bar staff and why let one small road bump drive you away?"
Charlie sighed and folded his arms. "She slept with another man last night."
"Oh. Okay, well, you're still welcome..." Peter trailed off awkwardly. "I better get back to it."
He went back to the kitchen and sent off a text to Molly. "Invited new bloke Charlie round for dinner. Maybe invite mates around too so he can meet people?"
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Molly grabbed her phone up, grateful for the distraction. She smiled at Peter's text and sent one back.
"You gather the guys, I'll tell the girls," she sent back.
"Mine tonight. 7. No excuses :)" she sent to Lauren, Mercy and Lucy.
"Mine tonight, bring Bolton :). 7" she sent off to Whitney.
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Lucy's eyebrows went up as she read Molly's text. So, she had not only been forgiven, but it seemed she and her brother's partner were friends. A quiet night out, just what she needed. She went to the wardrobe and pulled out a comfortable pair of khakis and a dressy t-shirt. She could make some effort, she decided as she looked down at her grubby pyjama pants and tank top.
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Lauren read Molly's text and grinned. "See you then."
Whitney read Molly's text and frowned. She was supposed to invite Bolton? She blew out a breath. Fine...she was clearly being dared. She leaned against the wall and stared at her phone for a few minutes and then finally steeled her resolve.
"Molly having people over at theirs-she said 2 invite u. 7pm. yes?"
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Bolton glanced at his phone as he reached for his bottle of water. He grinned.
"Sure. I'll be at yours for 6:50. I dunno where they live," he sent back. In truth, he had a vague idea where Peter and Molly lived: he'd seen them around the Square often enough. But this way he got to spend some time with Whit.
Molly looked through all her texts then fired one back to Peter after everyone had replied.
"Whit, Bolton, Lucy, Lauren, Mercy and Fats all coming," she sent to Peter.
"Meet at cafe instead," Whitney sent back and heaved a long sigh of relief. Well, she'd got that finished at any rate. Now, she had work to do.
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"See you there," Bolton sent back. He grinned to himself then launched himself back into the ring.
"Okay," Peter sent back. He wondered if he should try and get Annie to join them. He thought about what Charlie had said and decided against it, at least this time.
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Alyssa got more and more nervous as she got nearer to the Hospital. Her pace gradually got slower and slower until she was almost dragging her feet. She gulped, she was wrong, she did need Jack here. She wanted him here. She fumbled in her pocket for her phone. She dialed his mobile before remembering that his phone was charging at home. She hastily called his office.
"Walford Secondary."
Alyssa bit her lip, Jack's secretary had picked up.
"Is Jack there?" she asked. "It's his wife," age added anxiously. After the way he'd been around her would he even want to talk to her?
"Oh, Mrs. Rimmer, Jack didn't come in today."
Alyssa felt sick. This was all her fault, if she had just let Jack come with her in the first place! "Oh, thanks," she said lamely before hanging up. Jack wasn't at School, didn't have his phone and was in a bad mood.
She fiddled with her phone as the Hospital came into view. She couldn't get hold of Jack.
"Can you meet me at the Hospital? I can't get hold of Jack," she sent off to Rowan and then took small steps towards the giant building. Yesterday everything had seemed so brilliant, now it was just one big painful mess.
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Rowan put the plates up on the pass bar and then heard her phone beeping. She got it out and read Alyssa's text with a gasp. She quickly pulled off her apron and tossed it at its hook.
"I have to go, the rush is almost done. If you need help with clean up, have Ray come down. Be back later," she told Trevor and Syed and ran from the restaurant. She jumped in the car and sped away towards the hospital. She quickly parked and sent off a text to Ray.
"Lyss needed me at hospital. Back later," she sent him and jogged towards the door of the hospital.
"Hey," she said as she approached Alyssa and quickly folded her sister into a hug. "Come on, let's get you inside. You'll be fine," she soothed and kept an arm around Alyssa as she walked inside with her.
Alyssa looked at Rowan sadly as they went into the Hospital.
"Jack and I had a fight yesterday and he didn't come home last night. We had another argument this morning and he hasn't gone into school. I don't know where he is, Ro," she said as she clutched at her hand.
"Well, I'm here for you now, Lyss," Rowan said and gave Alyssa a squeeze as they walked to the desk.
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Shaz managed to smile at Chris as he came back. She murmured a word of thanks as grabbed up the mug and took a measured sip. She shrugged at Chris' question and looked down at her paperwork.
"Is Ray picking the kids up or is it my turn today?" she wanted to know.
Chris looked over at her in surprise.
"Well, he dropped the kids off so he'll be picking them up," he told her. He gazed at her for a few more moments. She looked...odd.
"Are you all right, love?"
"Oh yeah, course," she said, and shook her head, she needed to pay attention. Shaz raised her eyebrows at him and nodded.
"I'm fine Chris, why wouldn't I be?" she asked him as she twirled her pen.
"You just...you look...dunno," he said with a shrug.
Shaz frowned at him.
"I'm fine, Chris," she told him softly and smiled at him. The last thing she needed, or wanted, was Chris finding out about her and Ginger. It had been an accident that wasn't going to be repeated. But neither Chris nor Simon needed to know. That was the way it was going to stay. Most likely these letters were just a prank and it was coincidence that both and Ginger had got one.
Chris nodded and left her alone. Whatever was wrong, she clearly wasn't going to talk about it.
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Jack finally let the pub. He glanced at his car; he'd never be able to drive home. He crossed the street and went into a nearby cafe and ordered black coffee.
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Lauren rushed home and gave Whitney a quick wave as she bounded up to the flat.
"Whit, what are you going to wear to Molly's?" she called out.
"Just what's I've got on. It's only Molly and Peter and us," Whitney called back as she entered the flat.
"I know that, but still," Lauren shouted back.
"Look, you don't have to dress up," Whitney said from behind her.
Lauren looked around the wardrobe door. "But it's just dinner, why not go out after?"
"Lauren, I can't. I'll have to come straight back here. I have orders to finish and I have to make sure things are ready for the show. I've only got four days left."
Lauren sighed. "I can't wait until after this show, then you'll be fun again."
"Only if the show is a success and I get the backing from the bank to expand. Otherwise, who knows..." Whitney told her and trailed off.
"Now, get yourself sorted so we can go. I'm meeting Bolton at the cafe, Molly told me to invite him."
Lauren nodded and quickly turned her head so her attention was back on her clothes so Whitney couldn't see the sneaky smile that crept across her face.
Whitney walked with Lauren to the cafe. Whitney looked inside, but no sign of Bolton yet.
"Do you want to wait here with me or go on to Molly and Peter's?"
"I'll stay with you."
Whitney nodded and sat down at one of the tables outside the cafe with Lauren to wait.
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Rowan sat nervously, waiting for Alyssa to wake up after her surgery. She glanced at her watch again and leaned back in the chair and gazed at Alyssa's pale form lying on the bed.
She flipped open her phone.
"Lyss should be waking up soon," she sent to Ray. "Cook for twins or take them to restaurant. Be home after she wakes."
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Ray glanced down at his phone and raised his eyebrows at her text. He sighed and nodded.
"K. You okay?" he sent back.
Ray sat up and stretched as he looked around the house. He enjoyed his days off, but often found himself at a loss of what to do. If he had the twins with him then he knew that he wouldn't get a moment to himself. He wandered into the kitchen and looked around. He was bored, plain and simple.
Normally Rowan was downstairs and he could go and bother her. But Rowan was busy with Alyssa. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Maybe he should go for a walk? He sighed and glanced at his watch. He had to get the twins anyway. He'd walk. Nursery wasn't far and they could walk back to the Restaurant to wait for Chris and Shaz to finish work. Maybe go to the park.
Ray shrugged and slid on his shoes and headed out to pick up the twins and Olivia.
"I'm fine," Rowan texted back.
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Charlie walked out of the pub and looked at the piece of paper Peter had written his address and directions on. He folded the paper back up, stuck it back in his pocket and headed off. Lauren caught sight of him and nearly jumped up and went to talk to him, but she'd told Whitney she'd wait with her. She sighed, drawing a glance from Whitney and looked back down at her phone. She'd just see about talking to him another time.
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Alyssa opened her eyes and focused on the room around her. She attempted to smile at Rowan and then looked down at her stomach. She carefully pressed a hand over it and felt her heart plummet. She didn't have a baby anymore. She swallowed thickly and looked back up at Rowan.
"Can we go? I don't want to be here," she said quietly.
Rowan looked at Alyssa and took her hand.
"You can't leave until they release you," Rowan told her. "I'll go tell them you're awake, okay?"
Rowan got up and peered out the door before slipping out and walking to the desk.
"Excuse me," she said to the nurse. "Alyssa's awake."
Alyssa nodded at Rowan and sighed heavily as she lay back and stared absently at the ceiling. Her hand stayed resting on top of her stomach. She wanted Jack; she shouldn't have told him that she didn't want him here. In all honesty she had thought that she could do this without him, keeping him from getting hurt while she did so. But now she wanted him here, with her. She sniffed and rubbed her hand over her eyes to catch the tears before they fell.
The nurse looked at Rowan then glanced into the room where Alyssa was laying.
"We'll need to keep her in at least another day, just to make sure everything's okay. She should be okay to leave at around this time tomorrow," she said helpfully.
"Well, you should maybe let the doctor know she's awake, so they can make sure she's okay," Rowan said in exasperation. She turned and went back into the room where Alyssa was and sat down next to her again.
"I've told them you're awake, hopefully a doctor will be along soon, but they probably won't release you until tomorrow."
Alyssa sighed and nodded at Rowan. Another day in hospital. Once again she wished she had had an abortion. Then all she would have to have done was take one little pill and not stay in hospital.
Her glance fell on the ring and she smiled at Alyssa. "I've got some good news, however, might make you smile."
She held up her hand so Alyssa could see the ring. "I finally said yes to Ray. We're getting married."
Alyssa's face lit up and she took Rowan's hand and studied the ring. She smiled broadly.
"Congratulations!" she grinned. "Have you set a date?" she asked excitedly as she carefully sat up.
Rowan shook her head. "It just happened yesterday and to tell you the truth, I'm still a bit stunned," she said with a chuckle. "Ray is over the moon, though. I can't believe he's so excited. We're just going to do something small. I don't want a big fuss," she added.
Alyssa nodded, her smile growing wider. "I'm glad it's happening!" she exclaimed. "You two are so perfect together," she added as she squeezed Rowan's hand.
"I do hope that I get to be a Bridesmaid?" she teased and then gasped. "And you have to have Claire as a Bridesmaid, too! How cute would she look?" she said excitedly.
"Well, we are going to keep it small but you will be my Maid of Honor, or whatever you want to call it. Claire and Denis both are going to be involved somehow, not sure how though. Ray and I haven't really gone into details about it just yet."
Alyssa nodded. "Let me know when you do, I'll help you with whatever," she offered.
Alyssa smiled happily at the prospect. "We'll get some wedding magazines," she said. "Do you know the style of dress you want?" she asked curiously as she leant back a bit and looked at Rowan. "We're going to need to get lingerie, too, of course," she said with a laugh.
"Oh no, I think I'm creating a monster," Rowan groaned. "Oh, good grief, I'm sure Ray will love that."
Alyssa smiled at Rowan "You saw what I was like over my own wedding!" She smiled "What made you think I'd be any different about yours?" She asked with a laugh.
Rowan put her face in her hands. "I'm doomed," she joked with an air of tragedy and then looked back up at Alyssa. "I probably shouldn't be making you laugh."
Alyssa smiled back and shrugged. "Probably not, no," she said as she glanced at the bed then looked back up at Rowan. "But what're you gonna do?" she said with a smile. "They can't stop me laughing."
"But it might hurt," Rowan said, her tone concerned.
Alyssa shrugged. "If it does I can't really feel anything, I don't even want to know how many painkillers they've got me on," she said with a sigh.
"My sister the druggie," Rowan teased.
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Jack finally finished off his sixth cup of coffee and managed to eat a burger and chips. He sat and moped for a few minutes and then finally stood up and left the cafe. He sighed as he stood on the pavement outside the cafe for a moment and then set off at a slightly brisk walk towards the hospital.
Jack walked into the hospital and asked to be directed to Alyssa.
He stood for a few moments outside the door and then went inside.
Rowan stopped mid-sentence and looked up at Jack.
"I should wait outside..." she began.
Jack held up a hand. "No, I just came to make sure she was okay. They said you just woke up."
Alyssa looked up sharply as Jack came in and she nodded silently before speaking.
"Yeah," she said softly. "I called your office earlier, you weren't at work," she commented questioningly.
"No, I wasn't," he said shortly. "Ro, give us a minute," he said and Rowan looked at him for a moment, the surprise at his tone evident on her face, but she stood up and gave him a long, measuring look, causing him to look at the floor, before walking out of the room.
He took a few steps closer to the bed.
"When do they release you?" he asked.
Alyssa watched Rowan leave and then turned her attention back to Jack.
"Tomorrow sometime," she sighed. "Why didn't you go to work?" she wanted to know. "I tried to get hold of you," she added quietly.
"I couldn't go, I was worried about you."
Alyssa nodded and sighed as she pulled her arms to rest over her tummy protectively. She looked at him and bit her lip.
"Jack, I'm sorry for telling you that I didn't want you here, I realised as soon as I got to the hospital that I did," she said quietly as she looked away from his face to stare unseeingly at the floor. "I was all over the place yesterday," she added softly.
Alyssa looked up from the floor and gazed at him, her vision blurring with tears which she wiped at furiously before they fell.
"Sorry I bit your head off," he said softly. He walked over and sat down in the chair where Rowan had been sitting earlier.
"So, hopefully the doctor will be in soon and tell us how you are doing. Does it hurt or have they given you decent enough painkiller?"
Alyssa shrugged. "If it does hurt then I haven't noticed yet," she sighed as she looked at him.
Slowly she reached out and carefully slid her hand into his, a soft sigh escaping her at the contact.
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Rowan sat down in one of the chairs in the hall and waited. She wondered if she should just go home. Jack was here now, he could look after her. She sent off a quick text to Ray.
"She's awake and Jack is here. Waiting for them to talk for a bit, then I'll be home," she sent.
Jack closed his hand around hers and leaned back in the chair. He was at a loss of what to say. She wasn't lying about the surgery, however. He felt guilty for not believing her in the first place, but the way she'd gone about telling him, he couldn't help but think otherwise.
He looked up as Rowan poked her head in the door.
"Jack's here, so I'm going to go ahead and go, okay Lyss?"
She walked over and gave Alyssa a quick squeeze. "I'll come by to see you tomorrow, either here or when you get home."
She looked up at Ro as she left and smiled, waving at her. "Thanks, Ro," she sighed as Rowan left.
Rowan gave Jack a small smile and then headed out, nodding at the doctor as she passed him on his way in to see Alyssa.
Jack noted the doctor coming in and tightened his grip on Alyssa's hand.
Alyssa sighed as Jack kept hold of her hand, he wasn't completely angry with her then: he couldn't be if he was willing to hold her hand. She looked at Jack as he squeezed her hand and followed his gaze to the doctor coming through the door. She swallowed and squeezed Jack's hand back.
The Doctor came forwards with a confident smile and grabbed her notes from the foot of her bed.
"Mrs. Rimmer..." he said slowly as he glanced over the page in her folder then looked up at her, Alyssa nodded.
"Well, there was no complications with the operation and you should be completely fine to go home tomorrow," he told her with a gentle smile and Alyssa nodded silently.
"Now, I have to inform you that your chances of conceiving again is reduced…" he started, glancing at Jack as he did so, the husband needed to know this information, too. Alyssa glanced at Jack too and she nodded.
"We know," she said quietly.
The Doctor nodded. "You should also know that the possibility of you having another ectopic pregnancy is around 15%," he said and Alyssa nodded again, squeezing Jack's hand. "Okay," the Doctor said as he replaced her notes and nodded at the pair of them.
Jack listened to the doctor and nodded. He'd expected to hear that.
"I'll come by later," he said as he left the room.
Alyssa let out a long breath and looked at Jack. "Are you still mad at me?" she asked him quietly.
"No, but hopefully you can understand why I was in the first place," he said softly. He let out a long breath. "Anyway, should we see what time they are going to feed you? I've had a burger and chips, but I doubt they've fed you yet if you just woke up."
Alyssa shook her head. "They haven't, no, but I don't think I can eat anyway," she told him. "And yes, I can understand," she added softly.
Alyssa tugged on his hand gently. "Will you please give me a hug? All I've wanted since you stormed out this morning was your arms around me," she told him, trying to sound confident, but her fear of him saying no to her casting a shadow in her eyes.
Alyssa leant back comfortably in his embrace; she sighed softly and shut her eyes for a moment. She listened to him, feeling the rumbling of his chest against her cheek.
"But that can be really expensive, Jack," she told him. "Besides, there's only a 15% chance I will have another ectopic pregnancy, and if we are looking out for it and check as soon as we think I'm pregnant then it shouldn't be too much of an issue," she added as she looked up at his face.
"Just the same, we're going to make sure it doesn't happen again until you decide. It's not worth the risk," he told her decisively.
She shifted her position as she looked up at him. "Are you okay?" she asked him. "I don't think I've asked you that yet," she said quietly as she stroked his arm.
"I'm okay," he assured her, 'apart from the guilt,' he added in his mind.
Alyssa sighed and nodded in agreement. "Okay," she said quietly.
"Now, it's getting late and you should get some rest," he told her. "Yes, I know you've only been awake a couple of hours, but that was different from proper sleep. I'll stay here," he told her and gently pushed her back onto her pillow. He brushed a soft kiss across her lips and sat back down in the chair.
Jack gazed at Alyssa for a moment and then stood up and leaned over to lift her and gather her in his arms. He shifted so he could sit next to her on the bed and held her tight. He could feel the guilt causing a sickening churn in his stomach. He would have to make sure Alyssa didn't find out about what had happened.
She smiled at him. "Good," she nodded as she shifted herself a bit so that she could see his face better. "I hate it when we argue," she said to him.
Alyssa didn't argue. She watched him sit back down and then curled on her side so that she could look at him until she fell asleep. "Shouldn't you go home?" she asked him "You haven't been in work today" she stated "Surely you should go in tomorrow?"
"I might after you go to sleep, but I want to just stay here a bit and make sure you're okay," he told her and tried to tell himself he wasn't being overly supportive due to the overwhelming guilt he was feeling, even if he had thought she'd walked out on him. He squeezed her hand and settled comfortably in the chair to wait for her to fall asleep.
Alyssa sighed and nodded. "I'm fine," she yawned as she snuggled down and shut her eyes.
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Bolton had a quick shower and changed hurriedly. He made his way towards the Cafe happily and controlled his expression when he saw Lauren with Whitney; he had been hoping to spend the short amount of time while they went to Molly and Peter's with her alone. He schooled his expression to a beaming smile as he made his way over to the two girls and took a seat.
"So, we going there now or hanging here for a bit?" he asked them as he sat back in the seat.
Whitney smiled at Bolton and stood up.
"Go now," she replied and Lauren jumped to her feet and made her way down the road at a quick walk. Whitney watched Lauren go and shook her head with a small chuckle.
"I guess she's in a hurry," Whitney said to Bolton and started after Lauren, at a slightly slower, normal pace.
Bolton watched Lauren hurry off with a small smile. At least now he got to be alone with Whitney for a little while.
He turned to her with a shrug. "So, are you still nervous about this weekend or are you excited yet?" He wanted to know.
"A bit of both, actually," Whitney told him. "Sometimes more of one than the other, it seems to change every few minutes."
She smiled and blushed. "I want us to practice one more time before Saturday and we'll have to all travel there together and make sure we get there early enough we don't miss our short rehearsal slot."
Bolton nodded at her and grinned "Fine by me, just tell me a time and I'll be there!" he promised as they reached the door to the flat and he reached out to press the buzzer.
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Lucy ran a brush through her hair a final time and left the flat, setting off at a brisk walk towards Molly and Peter's flat. She noticed Chris and Shaz leaving the station and climbing into their car, but looked away quickly.
She quickened her step so they wouldn't see her and hurried on to Molly and Peter's. She still wondered if she shouldn't tell Chris what she knew.
Lucy went up to the door and pressed the buzzer to her brother's flat.
Molly looked up from the pan as she heard the buzzer and smile as she dashed to the front door. She wrenched it open and beamed at Lucy.
"Heya," she smiled as she stepped back to let Lucy in. "D'you want a drink or anything?" she asked as she headed back to the kitchen and opened the fridge.
"Hi," Lucy greeted. "Oh, wow, something smells good," she remarked. She nodded at Molly. "I'll have whatever you've got, beer or wine, I'm not picky," she replied.
Molly grabbed the nearest can of lager and handed it over to Lucy
"There are glasses in that cupboard," she said as she pointed to the cupboard above the oven.
Lucy thanked Molly for the can and popped it open and took a drink.
"Hey, sis," Peter said as he came out of the bedroom. "Glad you could make it," he said to her and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. He heard the buzzer go and reached for the handset.
"Hello? Yeah, hi, Charlie, come on up," he said into the handset and stepped around his sister to crack the flat door.
Charlie walked in and went up the stairs and into the flat. He smiled at Peter as he closed the door behind him.
"Hiya, thanks for inviting me. Smells good," he remarked.
"This is my sister, Lucy and this..." he turned and gestured at Molly, "is my partner, Molly. Lucy, Molly, this is Charlie."
"Nice to meet you both," Charlie said to them.
"You too," Lucy said and shook Charlie's hand before going over to gaze out the window.
"Looks like the others are nearly here," she said absently as she noticed Lauren hurrying over and Whitney and Bolton farther behind her down the road.
Molly smiled at Charlie. "You too," she smiled and then glanced over at Lucy.
"Good!" she said. "The food is nearly done," she smiled and then looked back at Charlie.
"Do you want anything to drink Charlie?" she asked.
Charlie nodded. "Anything's fine, thanks" he said and smiled at Lauren as she came in.
Molly nodded at Charlie and got him a can of lager too. She passed it to him. She looked up at the sound of the buzzer and grinned.
"Nice to see you again," he said to Lauren.
Lauren widened her eyes in surprise. "Hey, nice to see you, too. So, you've decided to stay then?" she asked curiously.
Charlie shrugged. "I don't know," he replied and Lauren made a face. "Why not?"
"Annie and I have had a row, I'm not sure...well...I'm not sure of anything," he told Lauren softly.
"I'm sorry," she said and patted his arm.
"That'll be Whit and Bolton," she commented to no one in particular as she went to get the door. She smiled at the sight of Bolton with Whit and gave Whit a knowing look.
"Hey, guys," she grinned as she stood back to let them in.
Bolton smiled at Whitney before looking at Molly and moving past her into the house. "Hey," he said back.
Molly raised her eyebrows at Whitney and gave her a quick hug.
"What? You told me to bring him, so I did," Whitney sighed in Molly's ear. "So you can just stop with the looks, yeah?"
Molly smiled and nodded. "But you didn't have to bring him, Whit," she grinned.
/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\\/\\\/\/\\/\\/\
Lauren glanced around and moved to Charlie's other side so they could talk more quietly.
"So, what happened?" she wanted to know.
Charlie glanced over his shoulder at the others talking across the room.
"She slept with someone else," he told her, keeping his voice low.
Lauren let out a faint whistle. "I'm really sorry. Are you going to leave then?"
Charlie shrugged. "I don't know. You and Peter both told me to give this place a chance, but it's a bit difficult when just a few days after getting here she goes and has a one off with someone else," he told her and Lauren nodded.
"I don't see how she could do that to you. You're smart, you're funny, you're good looking," she told him and he blushed.
"Just stop. I don't think I'm exciting enough for her. She's led a pretty adventurous life so I think I might be a little boring for her now."
"You're not boring."
"Thanks," he said again and patted her on the shoulder. "A few mates like you and maybe I will stay."
She made a small gesture at the group of people. "They're my best mates," she told him. "Lucy used to be a real bitch, but she seems to have settled. She's training to be a police officer now, if you can believe that. And Whitney over there owns her own shop and designs the clothes she sells in it. I don't know Bolton that well, he's a mate of Whit's. Molly's great. Total sweetheart and Peter's really nice, too. Nothing at all like his father, thank goodness."
Charlie nodded as she spoke and took in the details she provided.
/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\\/\\\/\/\\/\\/\
Peter glanced at Molly. "Is it ready?" he asked her and headed over to the oven and opened it to check. He wasn't sure if she had become territorial in the kitchen the way Rowan could be and he didn't want to overstep the mark and interfere with her cooking. He might end up in the spare room otherwise.
Molly smiled and nodded at him.
"Nearly," she said to him.
/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\\/\\\/\/\\/\\/\
Bolton grinned at Whitney and nodded at Molly as she glanced at him.
Molly smiled at Whitney. "Fine with me, text me details and I'll make sure I'm there," she said agreeably then dashed off to the oven and pulled the dish out carefully and placed it on the table. She smiled as she dished up the extras.
"Okay, food's up," she called out to everyone as she made sure there were enough plates and cutlery out. She looked up as the buzzer went and went off to answer the door. She grinned as she came back with Fatboy and Mercy following after her.
"Fats is here guys, the party can start," Fatboy announced and Mercy rolled her eyes at the others before taking a seat as Molly passed her a drink.
"Whoo-hooo! Food," Lucy laughed and winked at her brother. Lauren gave Charlie a small push towards the table and followed him over to it and sat down next to him. Whitney sat down next to Lauren and wondered if Bolton would sit next to her. She wasn't going to ask him to, though.
Peter helped Molly put the food-filled plates on the table and then sat down.
"Wondered when you were going to get here, Mercy," Whitney said.
Bolton glanced at everyone as they took their seats. He smiled. He could sit by Whitney without making it seem to deliberate. He sauntered over and casually sat next to her, instantly reaching for the potatoes to cover his motives.
Mercy smiled at Whitney and glanced over at Fatboy purposefully. "We would have been here sooner if someone didn't take so long getting ready."
Fatboy swung around and held up his hands, a broad grin on his face. "Hey, babygirl, perfection like this takes time y'know!" He shot back.
Mercy snorted at him and shook her head.
"Fatboy, you are such a girl!" Lucy teased him and began to laugh.
"I take less time getting ready, and I put on makeup," Lauren added.
"I remember how rough it was getting time in the bathroom when you were renting a room at the house," Peter joined in.
Charlie looked around at them all and chuckled.
"How long do you take in the bathroom?" Lauren asked him.
"Oh, not very long at all, as I'm sure you can tell," he replied and grinned at her.
Whitney looked at Bolton. "And what about you?"
Fatboy looked around at them all and grumbled as he piled food onto his plate grumpily.
Bolton grinned and looked at Whitney with a small shrug. "Depends where I'm going," he told her. "I don't take ages though," he added with a grin at Fatboy.
"I'm sure that's good to know," Lauren said teasingly to Bolton causing Whitney to give her a look. Lauren smirked back smugly and began to eat her food.
Bolton smiled back at Lauren, completely missing the expression on Whitney's face as he loaded up his plate eagerly.
"So, where are you from?" Lucy asked Charlie.
"Annie and I moved here from Glasgow, well, Shieldinch," he told her.
"And what do you do?"
"Well, I worked in a pub up there, and I had a local radio chat show, and I'm hoping to be a writer," he told her.
"Careful, she's in the police so I guess she wants to interrogate you," Peter warned and Charlie laughed and shrugged.
"I don't mind, honestly."
Lucy made a face at her brother before taking a drink of her lager.
"Do you have any brothers or sisters and are they as annoying as my brother?"
"I have a younger sister, and no, she's not that annoying," he told her.
Peter snorted and took a bite of his food.
Molly smiled at Peter and Lucy. She decided she liked seeing them together, the arguments between them, though not exactly viscous, were fairly amusing. She made sure every ones plates were full and that they all had drinks before settling herself and beginning to eat.
She turned to Charlie. "Are you down here permanently?" she asked him curiously.
Charlie looked over at Molly.
"I don't know. I don't think it was the original plan to stay here permanently, but certainly for a good while. Now, it's hard to say," he told her and scratched at his temple.
Lauren gave Molly a look that said "don't ask" and focused back on her food.
"I think that Rowan is finally going to marry Ray," Whitney told Molly to change the subject. "When I went to get the coffees this morning she was wearing what definitely looked like an engagement ring."
"Who do you think she'd get to cater her reception?" Lauren wondered aloud.
"Certainly not my dad," Peter scoffed and Lucy snorted laughter.
Molly frowned slightly at Lauren but dropped the subject; she turned to Whitney and grinned.
"It's about time! They've been together for ages now! About as long as Mum and Gene, and they got married years ago!" she said with a large grin.
"I know," Whitney said. "I didn't ask her about it, but it can't be anything else."
"Since Rowan taught you how to cook, maybe you could cater the reception," Lauren joked at Molly.
Peter pursed his lips. "I could help," he added. "It's worth a thought."
/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\\/\\\/\/\\/\\/\
Rowan got back and checked over the restaurant before going upstairs.
"I'm home," she called out as she walked in.
Ray looked up from his stretched out position on the sofa and smiled. "HEY!" he called back as he looked at the twins that were sitting on his legs. "You pair gonna get off me so that I can go and see your Mam?" he asked them teasingly as he moved his legs to jiggle them about.
The twins looked at each other and shook their heads.
"Nope," Denis said and grinned at his father.
"You is comfy," Claire said and flopped over.
Rowan chuckled and dropped her bag on the kitchen table before walking over to Ray. He knelt down next to the couch and smiled at the twins before kissing Ray.
"Alyssa is fine. They'll let her out tomorrow," she told him then turned to look at the twins.
"I'm really hungry though, looks like there are some nice, juicy children here for me to eat," she said and grabbed Denis and pretended to chew on his arm and then grabbed Claire's leg before she was able to move it out of the way and pretended to chew on it while Claire shrieked with laughter. Denis got his arm out of Rowan's grasp and hurriedly crawled across his father.
"Donlethergemmmeeee!" he begged, the fear on his face spoiled by his giggles.
"That's okay, I'll cook this one up," Rowan said and grabbed her shrieking daughter and held her tight. She stood up and let out an evil cackle as she carried her kicking and screaming daughter to the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and looked at the contents then looked at her daughter.
"Well, there's still a piece of chicken and some potatoes left, I guess I'll have those instead," she told her daughter.
"Yaaayyyy!" Claire cheered and bolted from the kitchen back to the couch the minute Rowan put her down.
Ray cuddled Denis as his son clambered up his body. He smiled down and lifted his head up to watch Rowan and Claire in the kitchen. He chuckled as he reached down and scooped up Claire as she came running back. He hugged his children and looked back over the sofa at Rowan.
"They've eaten, Ro," he told her with a smile. "We nicked some stuff from the Restaurant," he said with a large smile at the twins.
He shifted his position and handed Denis the TV remote as he made himself comfortable and made sure there was enough room on the sofa for Rowan if she chose to join them.
"Well, I didn't figure you had starved them," she remarked from the kitchen as she waited for the food to heat up. She walked back into the front room with her plate and sat down and glanced over at him as she cut a piece of chicken. "So, teaching the children the fine art of thievery? What next, lockpicking?" she asked before she took a bite. She shifted her gaze from Ray to the twins, who were scuffling over the remote. She reached over and snatched the remote from Claire as she wrestled it from her brother's grasp. Claire let out a shriek of protest and Rowan gave them both a look.
Ray shook his head. "No. I'm a police officer!" he retorted. "How would that look, criminals for kids!" he said to her with a look at the twins. "You're not allowed to be criminals," he informed them with a frown.
Rowan threw a cushion at him. "Then don't say you nicked the food from the restaurant," she corrected him.
Ray batted the pillow away. "All right then, took, borrowed, acquired," he listed for her with a shrug.
"I think it's bed time," she threatened. The twins both gave her identical glares as they folded their arms and leaned against the back of the couch. Rowan shook her head and looked at Ray.
"How much sugar did you give them?" she asked him in an annoyed tone and began flipping through the channels.
"We had cake," Denis was quick to volunteer.
"An ice ceeem," Claire sang. Rowan quickly swallowed her mouthful of potato and gave Ray a look.
"Dis much," Denis added and spread his hands wide and Claire nodded, her eyes wide and her smile wider.
Rowan took a deep breath and let it out then took another bite of potato.
"You weren't supposed to tell her that!" he hissed at the twins. "We said we'd keep the ice cream part a secret!" he added reproachfully, clearly he was going to have to teach them how to keep secrets better.
He gave Rowan a sheepish look and shrugged and pointed at the twins. "Not my fault, look at their faces, and they said please and everything!"
Rowan swallowed her mouthful of potato and gave Ray a long steady look. "So, not teaching thievery, but secret keeping," she chastised him. "And I don't care what their faces look like or that they said please, it's one or the other," she told him, knowing it was pointless. He was going to spoil them regardless how many rules she put down. She sighed heavily and after a glance at the twins who were giggling at seeing their father being told off, turned her attention back to her food.
She finished up eating and stood up. She handed her empty plate to Ray and grabbed hold of her children.
"Bedtime for real, now," she stated and tucked a twin under each arm. "You can wash that for me," she told Ray with a nod at the plate and carried the twins down the hall and made them climb up the steps.
"Night!" Ray called out as Rowan carried the twins away, he looked at the plate then carried it through to the kitchen and gave it a quick wash in the sink, he'd learned to use washing up liquid sparingly now and Rowan no longer gave him her frown when he washed up for her.
/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\\/\\\/\/\\/\\/\
She came back down after she got them settled.
"I'm going to bed, too, it's been pretty tiring today," she told him and stifled a yawn.
Ray looked up at her and switched off the TV. He was back in work tomorrow so supposed he should start thinking about sleeping too. He followed her to the bedroom and crawled into the bed. He looked at her.
"Are you really mad at me for letting them have ice cream and cake?" he asked her as he pulled back the covers so that she could slide in, too.
Rowan sighed and looked back at Ray before sliding into bed next to him.
"A little, yes, we agreed we wouldn't let them have too many sweets," she reminded him. "Cake and ice cream is supposed to be for extra special occasions like birthdays, otherwise it should be just one or the other. It's just harder when you bend the rules for me to not look like a bad guy when I won't do it and yes, I know it's usually the case, one of us has to be the bad guy, but it would help if you would play by the rules more often, seeing as how you're a police man and all," she told him and poked him in the ribs.
"Now, go to sleep," she said and kissed him softly before laying her head against his chest, cuddling up and closing her eyes.
Ray sighed and wrapped his arms around her. He would try to keep to Rowan's rules, but the sight of their pleading little faces made his resolve melt every time. He would try, though. He grabbed a fistful of duvet and pulled it over them. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head as he shut his eyes.
/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\\/\\\/\/\\/\\/\
Whitney bit back a yawn and toyed with her empty glass.
"I should be getting back now, lots to do tomorrow," she remarked and looked over at Lauren, who nodded.
"Yep, I'm in early as well, lot of early paperwork to sort," Lauren agreed.
"I'll see you Friday," Whitney said to Bolton and then went over to hug Molly.
"Thanks for dinner," she said and after a quick wave at Peter and Lucy who were washing up in the kitchen, she headed out the door.
Lauren gave Molly a quick squeeze. "Dinner was great," she said.
"Bye all," she called over her shoulder as she rushed after Whitney.
"I should go, too," Charlie said. "Thank you very much for dinner," he said to Molly. He walked over to Peter and clapped him on the shoulder. "See you at work tomorrow and nice to meet you," he said to Lucy.
"See you tomorrow," Peter said. "Thanks for coming."
"Nice to meet you, too," Lucy nodded and went back to drying the plates and putting them away.
Molly looked at Lauren with a grin then turned to Peter with a small frown. "I'll wait for her to start making plans then offer," she said.
Molly hugged Lauren and Whitney goodbye and smiled at them as they left.
"You're welcome," she called after them as they left.
Bolton came up to her and grinned. "Cheers for dinner," he told her as he glanced over his shoulder to watch Whitney go. Molly rolled her eyes at him and tugged on his sleeve to pull him away from Peter and Lucy.
"You like Whitney?" she asked him.
"What?" Bolton spluttered and Molly put her hands on her hips.
"Do. You. Like. Whitney?" she asked him.
Bolton shrugged and Molly sighed heavily. "I need words, Bolton!" she told him.
Bolton frowned at her. "You're really bossy you know that?" he snapped at her and Molly waved away the comment. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," she said dismissively. "We're not talking about me, don't change the subject!" she said and stared at him expectantly.
Bolton shuffled uncomfortably. "Well, yeah, I guess," he said and Molly's eyebrows rose higher. He glared at her. "All right! I really like her!" he told her.
Molly nodded, satisfied. "Then tell her!" she said in exasperation and Bolton frowned at her. "And have her reject me?" he snorted. "I don't think so!" he said.
Molly let out a short laugh. "Why do guys never have a clue!" she said and looked at Bolton, her eyes dancing with amusement. "Trust me; it's very unlikely that she'll reject you."
"It's unlikely that who'll reject who?" Fatboy asked as he came across their conversation, he looked from Bolton to Molly and nodded knowingly. "This is about Whit?" he added with a grin. Molly rolled her eyes. "This, is none of your business, Fats."
Fatboy shrugged at her and smiled at Mercy as she came closer and he took her hand. "We just wanted to say thanks for the food, Molls," Mercy told her with a smile as she gave her a quick hug. "See you later," she said and Molly waved them off.
Bolton looked back at Molly once Fatboy and Mercy had gone. "I'll see you, Molly," he said as he headed towards the door and waved at Lucy and Peter. "See you guys."
Molly waved as she watched him go then went to help Peter and Lucy tidy up.
/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\\/\\\/\/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\\/\\\/\/\\/\\/\
Rowan watched the last of the late lunch leaving and sighed. She didn't begrudge Trevor time off, but the timing could have been better. Of course, it was a family emergency and it couldn't be helped. Today, it wasn't so bad. Breakfast had been busy, but lunch not so bad and from now it would be slow. However, Syed needed tomorrow off, which meant she would be stuck with James in the kitchen. James was passable help in the kitchen, but not as fast and Sunday morning breakfast was often very busy. She shrugged to herself. Couldn't be helped. She finished the stacks of plates and then pulled out her phone.
"Maybe go to pub tonite?" she sent to Ray. They hadn't done anything to properly celebrate yet, and though it wasn't much, a few drinks at the pub were better than nothing.
"Thinking of going to pub tonite join us?" she then sent off to Alyssa.
/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\\/\\\/\/\\/\\/\
Whitney smiled as more orders were handed to her. Nothing overwhelming, but her designs seemed to have gone over somewhat well. Then, the shocker as two buyers had pulled her aside at different times and presented her with potential contracts of what and how much they were willing to buy if she could provide. Whitney thanked them when they allowed she could give them a definite answer later. They knew she was small, but these offers meant she just might get the loan from the bank.
She stood and spoke to the sponsors of the show for a few minutes as they congratulated her on doing so well and she accepted the bottle of champagne they handed her. She bit her lip and walked back to the area that had been partitioned off for her group. She opened her binder and held up the orders and the two contracts.
"We did it!" she squealed and grabbed Molly into a hug.
"Thank you so much for your help," she said, and began to blink back tears.
She hugged Lauren. "Thank you."
"Awww, Whit, you're welcome."
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small stack of business cards. "These are from people who were impressed with your DJ skills in the show," she said as she handed them to him and then hugged him. "Thank you so much."
She stepped back and beamed at her three friends and sniffed.
"Well, if we're ready to go I think we should go celebrate," she told them.
"Definitely time to go to the pub," Lauren agreed. Whitney was about to argue that the pub might not be as fun, but remembered Charlie was no doubt working and even though he seemed to be getting along with Annie now, it wasn't keeping Lauren from hoping.
"Pub it is," Whitney agreed.
/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\\/\\\/\/\\/\\/\
Ginger came back from lunch and searched his desk again. So far, every day over the past few days there had been another note. This morning it had said: "Wonder if I should tell someone what you did?" He knew Shaz was still getting them, too, though she'd been off the past two days. He wondered if whoever was leaving the notes had left one for her on her days off or if they had skipped her, knowing she wouldn't be at work. He'd been tempted to ask, but chosen not to when she'd arrived that morning. It hadn't helped that Chris and Olivia had been with her.
He knew it had to be someone at the station. Who else could have possibly overheard them the one time they had spoken of it. Unless…someone had seen them at Chris and Shaz' flat. No, he thought, the curtains had been closed and the lights had been off in the front room anyway. They wouldn't have been easily seen with only the light from the TV and he didn't think they'd even been within sight of the front room window. He shook his head. No, someone had to have overheard them. But who?
He slammed a desk drawer in frustration and threw open the file on his desk. He wondered if the next note would be a demand for money. He was just glad Ray was down the hall and Alex was off today. Shaz should be back from lunch soon, and hopefully alone. He would have a chance to talk to her about the notes.
/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\\/\\\/\/\\/\\/\
Annie made herself a cup of tea and looked over at Charlie napping on the couch. At least he was back in the flat after staying the past few nights at the B&B. She was sure he was going to leave Walford and go back to Shieldinch. She'd been slightly surprised when he'd turned up last night. He hadn't forgiven her, not yet, but he was still here and he was back in the flat, even if he wasn't back in the bed. She walked over and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Wake up, Charlie, we need to get back to work," she told him. Peggy said we should be back by 3 and it's nearly that."
Charlie cracked open his eyes and looked at her.
"All right. You couldn't make me one of those?" he asked with a gesture at the mug she was holding.
She nodded. "Sure." She went and fixed him a cup as he went into the bathroom and washed his face. He accepted the mug she handed him gratefully and drank it down as quickly as he could.
"Right, let's go," he decided and headed for the door. Annie quickly put her mug in the sink and followed after him.
/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\\/\\\/\/\\/\\/\
Ray looked down at his phone in relief as it went off and he grabbed it eagerly. He smiled at Rowan's text and sent one back.
"Definitely."
He looked at Gene's office and sighed, the Guv seemed to be in a bad mood a lot recently, Ray knew that it was to do with Sammy. He could tell because Alex constantly looked worried. A moody Gene and a worried Alex meant something wrong with Sammy. It wasn't that difficult to work out. He sighed. He knew Alex had the day off today, most likely she was looking after Sammy. Surely that meant that Gene would be in a better mood.
He was curious though, he wanted to know what was happening.
/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\\/\\\/\/\\/\\/\
Alyssa smiled at Rowan's text. "Sure," she sent back.
Tanya was off work looking after Oscar so she was in again. It seemed like forever since she had last been at work. Jack had insisted that she take a couple of days off to recover from her operation, but she was bored and wanted to be busy. She was glad when Tanya called and said that she desperately needed her to work. So here she was. And she was happy to back. She still felt tender and sore but the pain was getting less and less each day. Soon she would be completely fine.
She was glad that she and Jack seemed to be fine after their arguments. She hated fighting with him. She much preferred them how they normally were. But that had been their first proper, big argument. And she was glad that it was over. She sat down on the chair behind the desk and sent a text to him.
"Rowan wants to go to the pub tonight," she told him.
/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\\/\\\/\/\\/\\/\
Molly laughed happily along with Whitney and hugged her back, enjoying her friend's happiness and success.
Bolton took the cards from her with a broad grin. "Cheers," he said to her.
Bolton and Molly nodded at the suggestion of the pub and Molly held Bolton back as she watched Lauren and Whitney head off. She glared at him. "You haven't told her yet have you?" she told him and he shook his head.
"Then tell her now!" Molly insisted and Bolton snorted.
"Yeah, good plan, have her think that I'm only interested in her because she's suddenly successful!" he said moodily and Molly frowned at him. "She won't think that!" she said indignantly.
"How the hell do you know!" he demanded. "You don't know what she'll think, Molly!" he snarled at her and she shrugged. "I know that she likes you Bolton, and that she gets jealous whenever she sees any other girl flirting with you, and her mood instantly lightens whenever you're around!" she snapped back at him. "So tell her already!" she ordered him before running after Lauren and Whitney.
Bolton hung back for a few more seconds then went after the 3 girls, Molly's words heavy in his minds as his gaze focused on Whitney's back.
/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\\/\\\/\/\\/\\/\
Shaz juggled her sandwich and cake as she came back into the station and headed straight for the kitchen. She'd decided to go and buy lunch then eat it in the station today; she had too much to do to sit around in the Cafe or Pub at lunchtime. She grabbed down a plate and loaded her food onto it as she got herself a cup of tea. She headed back to her desk and dropped into it, picking up her sandwich and taking an unenthusiastic bite as she reached for a folder. Her gaze flicked up and landed on Ginger for a moment.
She was still getting letters, little notes, threatening. She shredded every one of them. She didn't know who was doing this, she wanted to know. She didn't want Chris finding out and was beginning to wonder whether she should just tell him before someone else did. But she didn't want to hurt him, and there was a chance that this person was just bluffing. She sighed and took another bite.
Ginger walked over to Shaz and sat on the edge of her desk.
"So, did you have notes for the days you weren't here, or was there just one from today?" he asked her curiously. "I mean, if they are following your schedule and only leaving notes when we're working, it's definitely a fellow officer. If the notes are here all the time, it might be some one else who just happened to be wandering around the station and if that's the case, it's going to be very hard to find out who it is. I'm also worried the next note is going to be a demand for money."
Shaz swallowed her mouthful and shrugged at him. "They pretty much keep with my shifts," she clarified. "But I shred them all anyway," she added as she took another bite from her sandwich.
Ginger nodded and pursed his lips as he thought. "So it's probably one of our fellow officers," he said quietly.
"And if they ask for money then they aren't getting any, I'm not going to be blackmailed," she said.
"Why don't we ask for the station CCTV and run through it to see who's doing this?" she suggested.
"We can try, but if it's a fellow officer, they're going to know how to get around that," he told her. "Besides, loads of people come in here on legitimate business. How would we know who might be coming in to drop the notes?" he asked her.
"We look for a pattern, someone who visits my desk and yours and no one else's," she said. "As far as we know it is just us, which means there's only one thing that these notes can be about," she added with a sigh. "So they have to be leaving notes on just our desks, we find that person," she suggested.
"I guess it can't hurt to try," Ginger agreed. "But I don't think we'll get the coverage we want. I'll go get the disc," he said and slipped out of the room to go to the CCTV room. He slipped the disc for the week into his pocket while distracting the officer who was monitoring the screens and hurried back to the main room.
"Okay, I've got the disc for this week, good thing they change discs on Saturday," he said as he sat on the edge of her desk again, his body positioned so no one could see what they were doing. He handed her the disc and watched her put it into the disc drive on her computer so they could watch it.
Shaz nodded and tapped a beat out on her knee anxiously as she kept one eye on the screen and the other looking out for people coming into the office. She was glad it was lunch time and that everyone had gone out.
Ginger watched the screen, watching various people drop things off on discs, apart from the other officers in CID, only Trainee Beale had been at all their desks dropping off files.
He paused the playback and tapped the screen. "Well, we can't tell if she's putting things in the drawers, but whom else could it be? Surely it's not someone in CID. I don't think any of them were even here that day, she was though," Ginger speculated.
/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\\/\\\/\/\\/\\/\
Jack looked up from the weeds he was pulling and quickly yanked off one of the gardening gloves to pick up the phone.
He smiled at Alyssa's text.
"YES YES YES," he sent back and then quickly pulled the glove back on. The sooner he got done with this the sooner he could shower. Then he could walk Alyssa to the pub from the salon. Perfect. He would make sure to avoid Annie. He really wasn't comfortable with the idea of being around her after what had happened.