A/N: So this is fluff for Pianoninja as my latest chapter of S&B fanfic was deleted on Microsoft Word. So this is stand in fluff for my good friend!
Love CassidysPersona X
The sound of Sharon Bailey singing 'Wake Me Up Before You Go Go' was drowned out as DC Rachel Bailey entered the bathroom. The wedding reception was underway but Rachel was unlucky to have started her period for this month. It was only her luck that she'd come on her period on her wedding day with her white 'classy' dress on she had no choice but to lock herself away in a cubicle and take off the dress. How anyone hadn't noticed the crime scene around the back of her dress was a mystery to her (no pun intended) or maybe they did and didn't want to say anything but now she was sat on the toilet in a cubicle in a white tank top and white shorts.
"Can you believe Rachel's actually related to her?" Taisie asked her sister Elise as they walked into the bathroom. Sharon's singing for a second became louder before again being drowned out by the door closing, "and Alison...I'd be so embarrassed if mum started doing that."
Rachel had to cover her mouth to stop her from bursting out into laughter the thought of Janet on stage making a fool of herself was quite a fun image for the thirty two year old detective but then her face scrunched up as the familiar pain in her pelvic area caught her off guard.
"Did you hear that?" Elise asked as she cleared rubbed off mascara off her face. Taisie flushed the loo and then pushed herself up to see who had the made the mysterious 'ahhh'
"Rachel are you ok?" Taisie asked as she saw her mum's best friend leant over the toilet. Sadly Rachel was unlucky enough to experience not only severe pain but vomiting was a common side effect of her being on her period. She had leant herself over to stop herself vomiting everywhere.
"Can one of you," Rachel had to turn her head back to the toilet bowl as she feared she was going to vomit, "ughh...can one of you get either your mum? I need her to do something for me."
Taisie and Elise left their mum's friend in the safety of the toilet. They walked back to find Sharon next to Jill whilst Alison was apologising profoundly to her sister's boss for her mum's behaviour.
"You alright love?" Janet held out her hand for Taisie to take and she gently pulled her forward.
"Rachel's not well in the bathroom," Elise explained as Taisie was too busy looking at Sharon giving Jill drunken compliments, "she keeps throwing up."
"What's wrong with our Rachel?" Sharon asked as she placed a cigarette into her mouth and went to light up. Jill took it off the mother of three and Sharon glared at her, "oh you're too much like our Alison! Born sensible, it ruins the party."
"By smoking in here you're violating the laws under Section 83 of the Health Act 2006," Jill stumped it out and Sharon went to argue but Jill had that look in her eyes, "and before you criticise your daughter just remember it was her who ended up raising your son and other daughter."
"I'll go see her," Sharon went to stand up but her heel turned outwards and she ended up falling back down on the sofa.
"No you won't," Alison looked at Janet and tilted her head to the direction of the bathroom. As they entered the bathroom the two women heard the sound of coughing and retching.
"Are you alright chicken?" Janet asked with a concerned look on her face, "Elise said you were feeling sick...you haven't had that much to drink have you?"
Rachel sat down on her feet and she grabbed a piece of toilet roll to dry her eyes and blow her nose. She flushed the loo and stood up before opening the cubicle ajar so she could talk but not embarrass herself, "Mother Nature decided to come tonight," she explained as she stood shivering having lost a lot of fluid through vomiting she felt in desperate need for a glass of water, "I've leaked through to my dress and I can't come out as I'm in my white tank top and shorts."
"What size are you again?" Janet asked as she had spare clothes of Elise's in the boot, "no wait you're the same size as Elise as you borrowed her pyjamas once, some of us are lucky to have figures like yours...I'll be back in a second ok," she left the bathroom to get the keys out of her bag, "Elise do you mind if Rachel borrows your clothes from the other night?" Janet asked her daughter who was sipping at her coca-cola, "it'll only be until tomorrow."
"Why what's happened?" Sean asked looking concerned. Kevin was stood beside him with a pint of beer in his hand, "she isn't that drunk is she?"
"Woman's problems Sean you wouldn't understand," Janet pushed past the PC and the DC leaving Sean to shudder and shrug his shoulders. He had learnt when they were teenagers it was best to leave her to it.
...
Janet reentered the bathroom with a pair of jeans, clean underwear, a jumper and a fleece for her friend to wear, "I'm throwing it over Rach," Janet warned and Rachel waited for the new clothes to fly over, "you might also need these," she threw a packet of Always Night Ultra over the cubicle and she heard the packet crinkle as Rachel caught it.
"Thanks Janet," Rachel said with a crack in her voice. There was the emotions from the day and the fact she was in a lot of pain she had to breath in the tears that were threatening to shed,
"You alright kiddo?" Alison asked as she hadn't missed the crack or the heavy breath that Rachel had made.
Rachel pulled on the jeans and zipped them up. Then she pulled on the jumper and felt the soft fabric brush against her face, then the cardigan as she was still cold despite the soft fleece jumper she had on, "Ali," Rachel shook her head before walking out with the dress hung over her arms, "did you pick up my prescription?" Rachel asked as she turned on the cold tap and rinsed her mouth out with cold water.
"I did but how much have you had?" Alison asked as she took the dress off her sister and folded it up into a fold that only responsible adults seemed to be able to do, "I can't give them to you if you've a lot to drink."
"I had one glass of champagne then I started feeling really sick so I escaped into here," Rachel gripped hold of the sink and squeezed her eyes tight she breathed in heavily and made a 'ah' noise as she did so.
Janet had put her hand on Rachel's back and was rubbing the DC's back comfortingly, "What painkillers are these?" Janet asked as she saw how pale her friend looked, "come on let's get you something to eat and some water."
...
"Awww what's the matter chicken?" Sharon asked as she saw her daughter sit down next to her best friend with her head leant against Janet's shoulder and her arm wrapped around Janet's.
"Just ignore her," Alison whispered as she dug in her bag for the prescription she picked up for her sister earlier, "there's no way you're on your own tonight these send you loopy."
Janet read the box and saw that there was 500mg of paracetamol but 30mg of codeine, "I think you best stay at mine tonight," Janet rubbed her friend's arm comfortingly, "as Sean's a bit...well he's just drank three pints of beer through a funnel so I don't think he's going to remember much."
"Eat this before you take this," Alison instructed her as she put a plate of sandwiches, sausage rolls and Scotch Eggs and then on the other side of the table one of the tablets, "if you eat you're less likely to go loopy."
"Thanks," Rachel looked up at her sister her deep brown eyes were rather glassy as they had unshed tears swimming in them. Alison put her hand to her cheek and then kissed her on top of the head, "Elise thanks for the borrow," Rachel smiled at the oldest Scott sibling before turning her head to see where Sean was, "can one of you tell him I'm really sorry."
"Make sure she eats," Alison instructed Janet before going over to speak to Sean who gave her a great big hug when she saw him.
"Just eat something and then you take the painkiller," Janet handed Rachel the plate but the brunette took one look at the plate and turned her head away, "you haven't eaten all day either...you need to eat something," Janet watched as the DC then reached for a sandwich and a sausage roll, "then you can take this," she showed Rachel the round white tablet.
...
Half an hour later the strong opiate had kicked into Rachel's system and she was on the sofa staring at the walls in a deep daze, "you alright Rach?" Sharon asked her daughter who had heard what she said but it didn't process through her brain quick enough, "what you need is a nice glass of wine."
"No," Rachel mumbled through her tranquil state, "I can't...I need the toilet though," she managed to make her way to the bathroom where she locked herself in a toilet cubicle and she leant over the toilet bowl.
"Where did Rachel go?" Janet asked as she noticed the empty spot and Sharon was pouring herself another glass of gin, "Sharon where did she go?!"
"I don't know," Sharon slurred as she leant back and looked at Pete with a twinkle in her eye, "how should I know? They never tell me anything."
"I asked you keep an eye for a second! Shit, shit, shit, shit!" Janet then shook her head at the disgrace called Sharon Bailey before dashing over to Jill and Alison, "Rachel's gone...Sharon's got no clue...she's off her head on thirty milligrams of codeine as well."
"Janet," Mitch came running over to the DC who looked worried and then checked to see if Rachel was coming out of the bathroom. Thankfully she wasn't, "Rachel's in the bathroom but she's...I think her drink has been spiked as she's all over the place, I told her to stay where she is."
"She's not been spiked she's had some pretty heavy duty painkillers," Janet explained and she ordered Mitch to take her to Rachel. Meanwhile Alison went over to her mother angry that she let Rachel go without realising.
When Janet and Mitch entered the bathroom they saw it was empty, "Rach?" Janet listened out for sounds of life and she was relieved when she heard the familiar crying noise of Rachel Bailey coming from the cubicles. They found the young detective leant against the cubicle wall shaking and crying, "Alright Rachel come on," Janet knelt down to the young detective's level and moved aside so Mitch could also bend down, "you shouldn't have snuck off like that," Janet scolded gently like she was talking to one of her daughters. Janet pulled her into a hug and rubbed her arm, "it's ok."
"I want to go home," Rachel cried as the effects of the codeine had the opposite effect to euphoria. The tablets had caused her to become emotional, tired, unwell and confused.
"Mitch help me get her out so I can take her back to mine," Janet asked her colleague and they managed to pull the young detective up and then they guided her back into the venue where Alison was in a rather nasty argument with Sharon.
"You were asked for a second to make sure she doesn't go anywhere! As always you choose booze over your own family!" Alison had finally been able to say exactly what she wanted to say at the start when Sharon wished Sean and Rachel good luck.
"Stop it!" Rachel shouted as the whole noise in the venue was drowned out by her lack of coordination. However hearing her sister and mum argue was rather disconcerting as she couldn't hear much apart from loud voices, "just stop shouting! I just want it stop," she cried as her sister pulled her into a hug. Janet had gone to find Taisie and Elise so she had left Rachel where she knew at least one of the Bailey would at least be sensible enough.
"I'm sorry ok," Alison said comfortingly as her sister cried, she saw that Janet was going over to her kids and for a second she had to revert back to mother mode. Given their own mother wasn't in any fit state, "alright I'm sorry."
"Listen girls it's nearly eleven o'clock and you've got school tomorrow. So I'm taking us home including Rachel as she's really not well," Janet said through a loud voice as the music was rather loud.
"Will she be staying at ours?" Taisie asked with a twinkle of hope in her eyes, "she can stay with me!"
"Get your stuff and wait by the car I'll be out in a second," Janet told her daughter's and they went off to grab their coats and bags. Janet saw her best friend was crying into her sister and she had a feeling that Rachel might end up being emotional for the rest of the night, "come on you, you can stay in with me tonight I'm not having you this upset by yourself," Janet held out her hand and Rachel pulled away from her sister, "do you want me get your mum a taxi?" Janet asked.
"Just leave her," Alison shook her head and stood up to move away from the woman she called 'mum', "Rach I'm putting the box of them into bag your bag ok. Come on I'll walk you to the car."
...
Janet finished saying night to her two girls and took away the mugs of hot chocolate away from their bedside tables before switching off the lights. Finally after washing up dishes she came upstairs with a glass of water and a box of tissues for Rachel who was still crying under the covers of the bed they were sharing, "come on Rach," Janet tapped her friend's back before crawling under the covers herself, "come on, come on, it's ok," she stroked the thirty two year old's hair as a way to comfort her, "do you want to tell me what's made you so upset?" Janet asked.
"I haven't been able to go home with my husband as I'm high on codeine, my brother will be fifty odd by the time he comes out of jail, I could lose my job and my career and go to prison because he's claiming I put him up for it and my mother and sister can't even look at each other," Rachel said through tears and Janet used her thumbs to dry them away.
"You're not going to go to prison," Janet reassured her as Rachel continued to cry, "we know your brother clearly acts on impulse and he's doing what a child does. He doesn't want to get in trouble so he's blaming his big sister...as soon as he realises he's done wrong he will tell them and own up to it," the older detective pulled the duvet further up Rachel as she could see she was shaking, "do you want anything before we go to sleep?"
"Can I..." Rachel trailed off as she felt her face going red with embarrassment, "can I have a cuddle?"
"Come here," Janet held out arms for the brunette to cuddle into her, Rachel could hear Janet's heartbeat beating against her chest and she closed her eyes, "you'll be alright chicken...tomorrow everything will look a lot brighter and a bit less blurry as you're high on codeine," Janet played with Rachel's brown hair knowing from part experiences Rachel fell asleep rather quickly when someone played with her hair.
"What if Dom doesn't realise he's done wrong? What if he keeps blaming me?" Rachel sighed heavily, "when mum left he blamed me for it. He used to tell me it was my fault as he didn't know who else to blame. Every time he said it was my fault it would really hurt and now he's doing the same again, only this time..." Rachel scrunched her face up as she started to sob, "I could lose my career Janet! I hate him for it but I love him."
"Oh Rachel," Janet coo'd in a soft gentle voice as the woman who was normally able to hold herself together was in a state, "you need sleep ok. Are the painkillers working? Despite the odd side effects," Janet let Rachel pull away and they both laid on their sides facing each other, "I've set the alarm for six is that ok?"
"Janet," Rachel said as she closed her eyes.
"Yeah?" Janet asked as she switched the bedside light off.
"Thank you...I love you."
"I love you too now come on we have an early start tomorrow and I want to have a shower and a coffee before we leave," Janet gave Rachel's head one last pat before turning over to go to sleep.