Work Text:
“Armed police!” The shrill cry of the AFOs sounds out, and the door falls off its hinges like a fist through a sheet of paper. The Murder Investigation Team storm in behind the AFOs; first Jo, then Kate, followed by Lomax, Jatri and the rest providing backup. The house is empty. Silent. Almost ghostly, Jo thinks. One of the AFOs outside radios in that the suspect has actually bolted halfway down the street, and patrol officers were chasing her on foot. Jo sends Lomax and Miller to assist and begins to survey the house, looking for any signs of a lived-in house. All she finds is discarded clothes and shoes, a single tin of baked beans, a tub of powdered baby milk formula that seems not to have been opened, and a single wooden cot with what looks to be a paper-thin blanket.
Jo’s team had been called in after a body was found slumped in a dark alleyway. The death had initially been ruled as a drugs overdose, but an autopsy had been performed anyways, and found it was a drug-induced homicide - the victim had abnormal amounts of diamorphine in his body, and slash marks from a knife were carved into his chest, face, arms and hands. DNA evidence had allowed them to track down the perpetrator to 12 Burn Hill - Miss Allie Craig, a known addict with a history of drug-related offences and past (dropped due to insufficient evidence) charges of attempted murder.
Kate had noticed the items that seemed to indicate a baby was located in the premises also and sent Jatri and two AFOs to search the house for the baby. Jo is also stalking around the house, opening cupboards, looking under the couch and bed, opening and closing doors. She does this for some time, until -
“Boss!” Jatri calls. Jo and Kate run towards the call to find Farida kneeling down in front of a cupboard. Her hand is extended, and when Kate gets closer, she can see a tiny hand wrapped around Farida’s index fingers. The baby gurgles, a beautiful baby boy with dark brown hair and bright blue eyes, and something in her heart jumps. Farida steps back to let the two in, and Jo scoops the baby up as he starts to tear up. She holds him close to her chest, cradling the back of his head gently, and shushes him and she bounces him lightly, pacing around the room. Kate notices Farida watching Jo longingly, and even though she knows they’re completely finished, she can’t help but feel the ugly jealousy swimming up to her throat, threatening to spill out.
She asks Farida to radio control to explain the situation, and Farida exits, along with the two AFOs. Jo turns to her girlfriend, tears in her eyes as she switches her gaze between the baby and Kate.
“Kate…”
And with one look, Kate knows exactly what Jo means. She knows what a big ask taking in a baby is, and she knows how difficult the process will be, but they have reputable, high-paying jobs, and they’re a lesbian couple, which should surely boost them up the list in terms of diversity, right?
Perhaps she’s getting ahead of herself. Maybe Jo’s about to tell her they need to call social services and find the baby a place to stay.
“I can’t leave him with some stranger, Kate. I need to know he’s safe,” she pleads.
“Okay,” Kate agrees, reaching out to stroke the baby’s hair. Jo looks up to watch the scene and feels her heart melt. Her chest feels all warm inside, and the soft smile refuses to fall off her face.
They’re ushered out of the house so forensics can start their work, and, as reluctant as they are to make the car trip without a car seat for the baby, Jo drives them to a conveniently nearby mother and baby shop to buy some essentials for the baby; formula, clothes of different sizes as neither of them can figure out exactly how old the baby is, a car seat, blankets, toys and a crib. When they get home, Kate makes the call to social work services while Jo tends to the baby, making up some of his formula and rocking him as he drinks it down. He’s obviously malnourished, ribs nearly poking through his skin, and Jo wants to break down sobbing there and then. Poor baby, she thinks. He must have gone through so much.
“Yeah, we can come down to the office and fill in the paperwork tonight, if that suits?” She hears Kate ask, and an affirmative answer sounds down the phone. “Alright, cheers. Bye.”
Kate places her phone on the dining room table and sits next to Jo on the couch, wrapping an arm around her waist and pressing a kiss to her hair. She looks down at the baby and smiles.
“I remember when Josh was this small. He was an absolute terror. Screamed bloody murder if I left the room, wouldn’t sleep through the night, nothing. But this baby is so calm and quiet.”
Jo nods, sniffling. “He’s so tiny. Breaks my heart.”
“I know, babe,” Kate whispers, kissing Jo again. “But babies are strong. Resilient,” she continues, punctuating the word by leaning forward and stroking the baby’s cheek. “He’ll pull through.” Jo nods. She can’t seem to tear her eyes away from the bundle in her arms, and Kate feels a surge of joy - she’d never seen Jo as the type to want kids, but seeing her with the baby had flipped that assumption on its head. She was a natural, and she clearly cares about the tiny, underweight baby.
“What did social work say?” Jo asks after a moment’s silence.
“We’ve got an appointment to go fill out the guardianship paperwork at 5pm. That grants us custody for a month. During that time we can either apply for a long-term foster care order, or we can adopt.”
Jo nods. “What’s the difference?”
“A long-term foster care order is where he can stay with us until he leaves the foster care system at 18, and adoption means he’s effectively ours by law. The other option is we put him into the care system, and--”
“No. I went through the care system. It was horrific. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone,”
“Okay. Well, we don’t have to make any kind of decision just yet. For now, we have him for a month. We can make a decision closer to the time.”
“No pressure.”
“Absolutely none,” Kate agrees, and Jo presses a kiss to the baby’s head, then turns to kiss Kate again.
“We should probably give him a name.”
“Got any ideas?”
“Why is the first name that pops into mind, Chris?” They laugh. “Actually, no, we’re not naming him after Lomax, that would boost his ego a little bit too much.”
“Yeah, gotta keep him in check somehow,” Kate agrees.
“How about Jamie?”
“Jamie… I like that. Very Scottish. Where did you get it from?”
“I wanted to call Josh that, but Mark vetoed it. I couldn’t really argue with him.”
“I would have,” Jo says, snidely, but Kate knows she only harbours resentment towards Mark because of the way he’d treated Kate in the aftermath of their divorce and the ensuing custody battle.
Kate smiles, shaking her head.
“Do you want to hold him?” Jo asks. Kate nods, and Jo gently transfers the sleeping baby into Kate’s arms. He stirs, gurgles, but doesn’t wake, and Kate’s face softens as she takes him in her arms, curling him slightly into his chest. Jo rests her head on Kate’s free shoulder, nose-to-nose with the baby.
“Hi, Jamie,” Kate coos. He opens his eyes.
“I think we’ve found his name,” Jo whispers.
“Yeah, I think we have.”