AN: I know the pain. One of the fics I'm reading hasn't updated in a year. I think that's why I like getting chapters out ASAP. And worry not, I have a whole chapter planned for strip chess for the next series ;)

Without the Denes

Two weeks. That's how long they would be gone. Two weeks. They would be back at the beginning of December. Two weeks. Yeah, they would be fine. It was just two weeks.

Callum drove back to the Waterloo flat with Boo and Freddie after dropping Rory and Stephen at Heathrow airport and waiting for them to leave on their plane. Rory had been excited. The last time she had seen her family was at the wedding and she couldn't wait to show Stephen around Louisiana. Stephen was excited to be going but nervous all the same. He had never flown before and Rory assured him that it would be ok. He had also spent the last hour telling Callum, Boo and Freddie to take care of themselves, to leave any serious problems until they came back if it was possible, to make sure all the paperwork got done, to phone them if anything went horribly wrong. Callum had clapped his arm and told him to relax and enjoy the holiday. "You're going to see your family," he had said to him. "Don't worry about us."

"But you guys are my family too," Stephen had replied.

"Well then, you should know by now that we can take care of ourselves."

And then they went through security with a final wave and Callum, Boo and Freddie went back to the car park. Now Callum drove quietly while Boo and Freddie chatted. His eyes were fixed on the road in front of him. Yes, he'd told Stephen to enjoy himself and not to worry, and he'd given Rory a hug and told her to have fun, but he himself was just a little bit worried. Two of his best friends were gone for two weeks and he would miss them but his worries lay in a more practical area. Never before had their leader and one of their termini left them for two weeks.

Yes, they had survived once with no termini for three weeks but at least they had a leader. The same was true when Rory had went to Louisiana for a week last year. And yes, they had survived - well, barely survived - once without their leader but they still had a terminus and that was only for a couple of days. This was a couple of weeks they were facing now. And he had to deal with Thorpe. Thorpe was a friend, true, but now he had to deal with him in a more official capacity. Stephen was best at that. That was why he was their leader. But he was going to Louisiana. For two weeks.

Callum shook his head slightly. No, it would be ok. Stephen deserved a break. He couldn't remember the last time Stephen had taken a holiday. In fact, he couldn't remember a time when he had. It was good that he was finally getting away from it all for a bit. A nice holiday away from the Shades with his wife. Completely fine. They would be fine. They would cope. Callum gripped the wheel a little harder.

The first week went by with no ghostly issues. Well, none save the normal ones on the underground but Callum could handle those fine. There were daily phone calls from Stephen which always went in the same way. "Yeah, it's great over here. It's boiling hot though. The family are fine and Benouville is...very interesting. I think it explains a lot about Rory. Are you guys ok? Are you sure? No ones died? Yes, I'm sure you would've noticed if anyone did die, but check again." Then he would say goodbye and put Rory on. She was always less worried. "It's so good to be back here for a bit. Poor Stephens struggling with the heat. Are you lot ok? Good, I'm glad. I miss you all."

There were a few minor non ghostly issues that first week. Freddie twisted her ankle when she slipped on a stair. She was lucky she didn't have a major fall because she managed to catch herself on the banister. But her ankle had twisted around violently and they were all worried that she might have broken it. After a quick examination, they realised that she had only twisted it. Callum and Boo wouldn't let her leave the flat until she could walk properly again because neither one of them wanted her to take a more serious tumble down the stairs. She lay in her bed for a couple of days before she managed to put weight on her foot without wincing.

Boo had bent down to pick something up from the floor and banged her head off of the table. Despite her insistence that she was alright, Callum took her to the hospital to get her looked at. There was no way he was leaving any head injuries, no matter how small they seemed, unchecked. The doctor at the hospital checked her over and believed her to be fine before sending her to have an MRI just to make sure, the results of which came a few hours later. She was, as she and the doctor had suspected, fine. She only had a small bump which would disappear in a day or two. Callum breathed a sigh of relief and took her home.

The second week almost went by with no problems. The days had drifted by. November turned into December and they all talked about how much they missed Rory and Stephen. Callum found ghosts on the underground as usual and Boo found them in old houses that no one could sell because of the strange things happening. Sometimes Freddie went with Callum, sometimes she went with Boo.

On this particular day, she went with Callum. They laughed and chatted as they solved problem after problem. Callum asked Freddie how she and her girlfriend were doing. Freddie responded that things were good but a little difficult since she had no idea about Freddie's life. "You and Boo are lucky like that. There's no secrets. Same with Rory and Stephen."

Callum put a reassuring arm around her shoulder and squeezed and she asked how he and Boo were doing. She saw them everyday and lived with them and things seemed fine but she thought she'd ask. Callum told her that everything was great.

When they got back to the flat, Boo was sitting on the couch, holding an ice pack to her head. She turned her head and nodded in acknowledgement as they walked in. Callum noticed the small plaster on her forehead. He pointed at it and opened his mouth to speak but Boo cut him off, waving away his hand as she did.

"It's fine, I've already had it checked. I stopped by the doctors on the way home."

Freddie walked over to the couch while Callum stood rooted to the floor. Freddie sat by Boo. "What happened?"

"Something or someone threw something at my head. I didn't see what it was but it wasn't heavy. I don't know if they were trying to frighten me or kill me. Either way, I left. I figured it would be best to handle this one together."

Callum finally spoke. "Yes, it would be. Rory and Stephen get back tomorrow. We'll take care of it then."

Boo nodded as Freddie stood. "I'll put the kettle on."

Boo looked up at Freddie and smiled. "Thanks love."

Callum took Freddie's place on the couch and wrapped his arm around Boo. "Are you sure you're ok?"

She nestled into him. "I'm fine. Rory and Stephen will be home tomorrow and then we can take care of whatever it was that hurt me together. But we'll wait a day. Let them get over their jet lag."

They gathered in the office space at Goodwin's Court. It was 4th December and the Christmas tree sat in its box, ready to be put up. There was one for the office and one for Stephen and Rory's flat upstairs. Decorations lay around the room as the group sat on the couches Stephen and Rory had bought. Boo and Callum sat on one couch, while Freddie sat on the floor playing with the decorations. Rory sat on the other couch, feet curled up under her while Stephen sat leant forward, elbows on his knees, chin resting on his folded hands. He was listening as Boo told him and Rory about the mark on her head and how she got it. He nodded slowly. "You did the right thing waiting for me and Rory to come back."

"So," Callum said. "What's the plan?"

Stephen stood and walked over to the window. He spoke as he looked out onto the street. "We go and deal with it, whatever it is, before anyone else gets hurt." He turned to face them and smiled gently. "And we deal with it together." He met Rory's eye and she smiled at him, nodding slowly.

Freddie spoke from the floor. "When?"

Stephen looked around at the group gathered. They all nodded to him. "Today."