Today is the weekend and with the nice weather, she allows both Poppy and Maddison to play in the back garden while she sits at the kitchen table and writes up some case notes. She is sat so she can see out into the garden where both girls are playing nicely together. Maddison is sat on the grass playing with the plastic balls from a ball pool and Poppy is running in and out of her playhouse.
Poppy dashes into the house and trips up on the step as she walks in, "Steady on Poppy, you need to slow down. Are you okay?" Nikki speaks as she looks away from her paperwork.
"I need a blanket... for... my dolly!" Poppy speaks as she gets herself up off the kitchen floor.
"Okay, don't take the nice ones will you, take the spotty one out of your dolls basket" Nikki speaks as her daughter dashes off upstairs to get the blanket.
Nikki has been left with the girls for a couple of hours as Jack is on call and has been called out to the police station to take DNA samples for suspects from the double shooting they both attended during the week. Poppy soon comes back downstairs and runs into the kitchen with her spotty blanket for her doll and a teddy bear. "Mummy, can I have some water please?" Poppy questions as she stands beside Nikki.
Nikki gets up from the chair and looks at Maddison who is walking towards the steps to the house, she waits while she watches her climb them slowly and then crawl into the house before getting to her feet again.
She then walks over to the cupboard and gets one of Poppy's princess plastic cups from there, she rinses it out before filling it with water and passing it to Poppy. "I'm going to drink this is my house!" Poppy grins and Nikki rolls her eyes and allows her to go out to the garden.
Soon Nikki makes the girls some lunch which is salmon sandwiches as Poppy has suddenly taken to this sandwich filling. As she sits the girls down to each their lunch and straps Maddison into the highchair Jack walks in from being called out to the police station. "Daddy!" Poppy grins causing Maddison to copy her.
"Dada!" She smiles and claps her hands with a small segment of sandwiches in her hands causing it to get everywhere.
Jack smiles at the girls and walks over to Nikki and kisses her cheek before wrapping his arms around her body and holding her close. "All sorted?" Nikki questions curiously as she feels Jack's hands slip to her bump.
"Yeah, hopefully, there is a DNA match on the database" He speaks as he kisses her ear.
"Have you done them already?" Nikki questions.
"No, Clarissa is doing them, she's working overtime, something about HR owing her hours?" Jack speaks and Nikki nods as she then turns to notice Poppy slipping down from the kitchen chair.
Nikki watches her for a moment as she messes with her pinafore, "Poppy? where are you going?" Nikki questions.
"I'm finished Mummy, all full up" She grins happily.
Nikki pulls away from Jack's hold and looks at her plate, "Eat your crusts too."
Poppy huffs dramatically and clambers back onto the chair and eats her crusts before leaving the table and running off into the back garden. "What is she up too," Nikki speaks as she walks to the backdoor and notices Poppy going back into her playhouse and talking to something.
"I don't know why?" Jack asks.
"She's being acting weird all day, she's talking to something or someone in there" Nikki replies as Jack joins her at the backdoor.
"Is she holding another child hostage?" Jack questions and Nikki hits him playfully in the stomach.
"What with a blanket?" Nikki asks looking at her husband as if he's an idiot.
"I don't know do I?" He chuckles.
"Right, I'm going to find out what she's up too," Nikki replies as she steps out the house into the back garden, she walks across the grass and calls Poppy. "Poppy, I need to talk to you, will you come out here," Nikki speaks.
She hears Poppy messing around before she replies, "One minute Mummy!" Poppy calls out as she mumbles and then Nikki hears a clatter of things. "Sorry, sorry" Poppy speaks before popping her head out the door. "yes?" She speaks innocently.
"What's in the playhouse Poppy?" Nikki asks as she crouches down.
"My friend..." She smiles.
"You don't have any friends over?"
Poppy thinks to herself for a moment, "My imaginary friend."
Nikki folds her arms and raises an eyebrow, "Poppy! what is in the house!" She speaks in a tone that makes Poppy panic.
Poppy opens the door and waves her over, "Can I tell you a secret?... Shh, don't tell Daddy!" She speaks and then Nikki gets up from her crouched position and walks over to the playhouse and that is when she realizes what Poppy's secret is.