Complicated

Chapter Eighteen: Pay Up

Lord though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I'm not scared cause You're holding my breath
I only fear that I don't have enough time left
To tell the world that there's no time left, Lord please

Group 1 Crew – Forgive Me

The Tilbrey Diner was a place that Grace had frequented a dozen times over the years, it was a popular choice for cops all over the city since it was located across from the Court House. They were famous for their feather light pancake batter and their deliciously sweet maple syrup and she was in the mood for a little of both right now while she had the time.

She'd had to skip breakfast this morning at her parents place in order to get up and drop her parents off at the airport since their ride had cancelled last night. After she'd gotten the call, she'd driven straight to their place in time for dinner and stayed over the night. Their flight to Toronto to see her brother Jared had been at eight, and dragging herself out of bed at the crack of dawn to drive them had played havoc with her now routine eating habits.

Despite the fact it was only a week into her suspension she missed the Crime Lab fiercely. She liked the hustle and bustle of activity and the science of it all. Yet if she was honest she did enjoy the opportunity to make plans that she didn't have to break time after time and she knew last night when she'd turned up for dinner at her parents place they had been overjoyed to see her. Her Pops complained that she was getting too thin and her mother had been asking after Don again, clucking at her lack of Grandbabies.

Grace had rolled her eyes at her mother's nagging, it was a factor in every conversation they seemed to be having recently. Her mom would point would out that Grace wasn't getting any younger, and Grace would remind her mother that a baby wouldn't fit into her life in the City right now, which opened a whole different kettle of fish about moving back to the suburbs.

Grace checked her phone for the second time since she'd stepped through the door of the diner biting her lower lip in thought. She really owed Don an apology for not texting him last night to let him know she was going to be staying at her parents. He'd been working a tough case recently and every time he dropped by the apartment she could see just how dog tired he was. She didn't want to distract him from anything important so she'd settled on leaving a note upon his pillow instead. The past few nights he'd basically crashed straight into bed after he'd been getting in.

Grace cupped her cell phone in her hand before slipping into the nearest array of seats at the back of the diner so she could review the Special's board. She ordered a coffee to start before her thumb flicked over speed dial one and she rose the phone to her ear.

"Flack."

"I am thinking tonight, you and me, that black lacy thing I picked up from Victoria's Secret, maybe the handcuffs..." she said in that smoky, wicked tone she reserved only for him.

"Mom?" Don uttered, casting a glance at Terrence who sitting beside him in the silver Beamer reading through the details of his confidential informant deactivation form.

"I certainly hope that you don't think of your mother that way Detective Flack." Grace laughed, understanding that he wouldn't be able to return the favour in the dirty talk department. "What are you doing?"

"Breaking up with an old friend." Don told her, handing over a pen from the interior pocket of his suit jacket to Terrence. "You?"

"Apparently watching Jess escorting in Connor Dunbrook, he must be treating them to breakfast before court." Grace mused, giving Angell a finger wave as the other woman nodded her own greeting.

"Tilbrey Diner?" Don guessed, taking the pen back from Terrence and returning it to it's place alongside his notebook. "I'll come meet you when I'm done here."