Sugar And Spice
"Shhhh." Smithy chuckled and lifted Rebecca onto the kitchen counter. "She'll hear you."
Rebecca giggled and held a hand over her mouth, watching her father. "That one!" she pointed.
Smithy nodded and pulled the middle rose from the small bouquet, placing it inside the tall crystal vase. "Better?"
Rebecca nodded, her eyes widening at the amount of food being piled onto the tray. She tilted her head and looked up at him, hoping to distract him long enough to pounce on the pile of pancakes.
"No…" Smithy chuckled, watching her. "For mummy."
"Empty!" Rebecca pointed at her mouth, pouting.
"You've had your breakfast!"
"Dadadada." Rebecca pouted and lifted her arms to Smithy, snuggling against his chest, her head lolling against his shoulder. "Mummy sleepy!"
"So is Becca…"
"Not!" She insisted, lifting her head from Smithy's shoulder. "Mummy share?" She looked hopefully at him.
"You'd have to ask her." He grinned, kissed the top of her hair, and set about trying to work out a way to balance Rebecca and the tray.
Charlie slept peacefully, curled up on her side. She clutched the duvet tightly and stayed on her side, her hand under Smithy's pillow, holding it to her chest.
Rebecca stayed close to her father and clung around his neck, hardly daring to move for fear he may drop her. She peered over his shoulder at the stairs as they reached the top, patting his cheek in some form of reward. Smithy grinned triumphantly and quietly opened the door, managing to get the tray onto the bedside table, and Rebecca onto the bed.
"Charlie…" Smithy sat behind her and leant a little over her to stroke her hair from her face. "Baby, breakfast…"
Charlie murmured sleepily and groaned softly as she stirred, her eyes still closed.
"Chaz…" Smithy whispered and pressed a soft kiss against her neck. "Morning gorgeous…"
Charlie's eyes flickered open and she turned onto her back, smiling sleepily at Smithy.
"Ha!" Rebecca pounced at the movement, bouncing onto her mother's chest, forcing her eyes to open. She cackled and cuddled into Charlie, nuzzling her cheek almost.
"Morning Bec." Charlie yawned and managed to push herself up to a seated position, cuddling Rebecca gently, tilting her head a little to return Smithy's soft kiss. "And you." She smirked, cupping his cheek.
"Eugh." Rebecca blew a raspberry, sitting back up. "Empty mummy." She pointed at the tray.
Charlie looked over and chuckled as she saw the breakfast, grinning up at Smithy, "Thank you…" she smiled.
"Who said it's for you?" Smithy winked and sat on his side of the bed against the pillows.
"Has daddy not fed you, Becca?" Charlie pouted for her daughter.
Rebecca puckered her lips, contemplating a lie, before giggling as she saw Smithy's expression. "Not 'nuff."
"Not enough?" Charlie tutted. "You have to stop starving her, Smithy."
Smithy rolled his eyes and passed the tray over to Charlie, stealing a pancake to share with Rebecca. "She looks bad on it."
"Oi!" Charlie gestured with the fork. "Don't you go calling my baby fat, there's nothing on her!"
Rebecca looked outraged and glared at Smithy.
"I wasn't." Smithy laughed, "I just meant-"
"Quit whilst you're ahead." Charlie sniggered, watching his attempts to bribe Rebecca with a piece of pancake.
"You wanted to see me ma'am?" Smithy leant casually in the Inspector's doorway.
"Ah, Smithy – come in."
Smithy nodded and entered the room, closing the door behind him. "Whatever I've done, it wasn't me." He insisted.
"No?" Gina looked amused, "So it was Tony who should get the commendation?"
"Now, I'm all for sharing the glory with the relief, but-"
"Sit down and shut up."
"Ma'am." Smithy grinned, doing just that.
"CID have been working on a case overnight, a missing child." Gina pursed her lips thoughtfully. "A little girl, 6 years old." She passed him the file. "Her name is Rachel Mayers."
Smithy frowned and nodded, reading through the papers in front of him.
"She was heading home with her older sister, Hannah. Hannah's understandably distraught, her sister was snatched when she was beside her, dragged into a car."
"They're either brave or stupid…" Smithy pursed his lips. "Is it something to do with the family? Do they owe money or-"
"The parents insist not. Apparently Rachel is the perfect child, quiet, calm, well mannered. Hannah is the one with the temper enough for both of them, she's dispraxic."
Smithy scratched the side of his head, "And-"
"Mickey will fill you in, I've got last nights relief out there still searching, I'll let this morning's group know."
"Ma'am." Smithy nodded, making his way to CID.
"As far as we know," Mickey leant against the water cooler. "The kid is the latter day saint, noone knows of any reason why she in particular could be snatched, Suzie's interviewing the sister."
"Do you think it's something the sister's done?"
"To warrant the kid being taken?" Mickey sighed. "It's unlikely, but…"
Smithy nodded.
"Thing is, she's clammed up – she'll only talk to Suzie, and even that's in angry outbursts, she had to be pulled off her mother earlier…"
"Is there-"
"Dyspraxia, FME said she was fit to interview." Mickey nodded. "She's not scared of anything, she chased after the car and stepped in front of it, it only just narrowly missed her!"
"Poor kid." Smithy sighed.
Mickey nodded, "We've been searching for Rachel since 7 yesterday, not even the slightest whiff of a lead." He sighed. "There has to be something we're not covering in this."