I have newly uploaded this after I noticed some mistakes. This is also no longer a one shot.

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. Azalea-Datura

Chapter One: Learning

The room was silent. Alex reeled into the nearest table as the hand slapped her hard across the face. Her tears didn't stop in fact she found that they had intensified. She felt Ray grab her to stop her from falling to the floor. The door of CID opened with a decisive 'bang' and in strolled DCI Jackson. He had been passing and heard a ruckus; this wasn't unusual for CID but when it suddenly stopped and turned into a deadly silence he knew something was wrong.

"Ben," Alex cried releasing Ray and throwing herself at the superior officer. 'Ben' didn't seem to mind.

"Lex," he replied pulling her towards him, and as he did so he saw the large red hand mark on her left cheek, "who did this to you?"

Alex didn't answer but wrenched herself from his grip and ran, stumbling into the corridor.

"Grainger-" Jackson started.

"Already on my way, sir," Shaz called as she hurried after the DI. Chris followed her, in an obvious attempt to leave the tension-filled room.

Jackson then turned to Ray, "Sergeant could you please tell me what the hell just happened?"

"I think you had better ask acting DCI Marks, sir" Ray answered respectively while underneath he bubbled with anger.

"Marks, tell me what happened," it was not a question, and he and the acting DCI entered the office.

"Well I was just explaining why I am currently in charge of CID, sir, and that woman, who had obviously been listening at the door, barge in here crying and screaming, I tried to calm her down."

"By hitting her," Jackson asked.

"She was very upset, sir."

"So I have heard but there are other ways of calming people down. Didn't you think that she might have a reason."

"What possible reason would she have for being that upset, sir?"

"Well Marks you had just said that her commanding officer had been taken hostage."

"Superior officer, sir?"

"'That woman' as you so kindly called her Marks is DI Alex Drake; the only female DI in the Met. But I still don't understand why you struck her."

"She was very upset, sir."

"If I was in her situation I would be 'very upset' too. But at the moment I am wondering what punishment I should give you for not only striking a fellow officer but a woman. I would give you a disciplinary, but I believe a greater punishment would I believe would be to let her fiancé deal with you."

"Her fiancé, sir," Marks repeated, a little worried.

"Yes, Marks, her fiancé," Jackson said as he left the office but he turned back at the last moment poking his head through the office to say one more sentence before turning to Ray's desk and then continuing on his search for the distraught DI.

Marks was left standing in another man's office, with one thought in mind after that final comment and that was- Shit!

DCI Jackson's earth-shattering last sentence had been, "Her fiancé Marks, you're standing in his office."