This story is the latest offering from myself and the incredibly talented Hollie, otherwise known as MauraBarton349. We've often commented to each other how similar our heroines are and what would happen if they should ever meet...and now they have! We hope you enjoy the story and leave some lovely reviews for the both of us! Enjoy!
Maura brushed her hair back off her face and tied it into a low bun at the back of her neck. It was her first day back at the station following a long leave of absence and she couldn't help but wonder if she should even be going back or if she even deserved it. So much was bound to have changed and she didn't know if everyone had forgiven her for all she had done to Smithy. Gina certainly hadn't forgiven her and she was sure that the only reason she had been accepted back was because Smithy was now Inspector and Adam Okaro was understanding enough to forgive her. She swept a strand of her choppy hair behind her ear and stared into the mirror. Her youngest child, three-year-old Charlie toddled over to her and gripped at her jeans in an attempt to climb onto her lap. She picked him up and cuddled him tightly. Unbeknownst to her, Smithy was watching her from the bedroom door.
It was difficult to believe that this woman could ever have been violent towards him: she looked like such a harmless little thing. She was harmless really, but had just been under a huge amount of stress and pressure. Whatever her many issues may have been, or may still be, she certainly wasn't the monster that Gina had made her out to be. It had taken her a long time to find her feet again and he was determined that nothing should ruin it. He watched her cuddle little Charlie.
"Mummy?"
"Yes baby?" she said softly, stroking his downy hair.
"I'm hungry."
"No change there, then," Smithy said, coming into the room. "Breakfast's ready, little man." He went to take Charlie from Maura but stopped when she drew back slightly, clutching Charlie tighter, a reproachful look in her eyes. Whenever he took her kids from her arms, she looked as though she thought he didn't trust her with them. It wasn't true in the slightest and he kissed her head with a smile. "Come on, Max is waiting."
She got up and he placed a hand in the small of her back as they walked downstairs together. Max was sitting at the table and Maura felt a lump in her throat as she looked at him. He looked so grown up in his school uniform: it didn't seem so long ago that he was her little baby and only child. She sat down and her face lit up at the sight of breakfast: cinnamon porridge with bananas and strawberries. Charlie was sitting on a chair of his own, happily scooping his own porridge into his mouth. Maura tucked into hers hungrily. Smithy, who'd already eaten, watched her across the table with a fresh cup of coffee, a happy smile plastered on his face. It wasn't so long ago that she would neglect to eat at all, no matter what nice things he'd tried to tempt her with. She felt him watching her and looked up worriedly.
"What? What did I do?"
"Nothing baby. I was just thinking how nice it was to see you yourself again. I've missed that smile so much."
"Mummy's happy now," Max piped up.
"Yeah, Mummy's happy Maxy," Maura said, a familiar tightening in her throat. "I'm just going to get some more coffee."
And even though there was some still in the pot, she left the table. Indistinct voices sounded from the kitchen before Smithy followed her in.
"Maura are you all right? Max is worried that he's upset you."
"No, he hasn't upset me. Just – my kids saw me in that state Smithy. They saw me fall apart, be carted off to a Mental Hospital. And I put them through that."
"You didn't ask for what Vincent or Finnegan put you through. Maura, you're amazing, you're so strong."
"I don't know if I should be going back at all Smithy."
"Rubbish," he said dismissively. "Whatever's happened, you're still a great copper. Of course Sergeant is a lot more responsibility – you know that – but I'll be here for you. And if it starts to get too much – we'll see about more leave. Everyone's looking forward to seeing you. And there's Jess, Callum's wife. You'll like her. I've got a feeling you two will get on brilliantly."
Jess unpacked Jamie's nappy bag for the fifth time, spreading all the items out on the bed and checking everything was there before she repacked it.
"Nothing would have disappeared in the five minutes since you last repacked it." Callum said, smiling at Jess as she looked up. He came into the room and sat on the bed, Jamie asleep in his arms.
"But what if I forgot to put something in that mum needs?" Jess asked, stuffing the last of Jamie's spare onesies in the bag.
"Then she has the key to the house and she can come and get it. Come on darlin', we've got to drop him off otherwise we're going to be late, and you don't want to be late on your first day back." Callum said gently. Jess walked round the bed until she was stood in front of Callum, her arms open. Callum stood up, passing her their son. He looked down at them a moment, unbelieving that he was this lucky. He pressed a kiss on her lips before grabbing the nappy bag and keys from the bedside table. "Hand me Jamie back, I'll put him in the car while you grab the rest of your stuff. It's cold out, don't forget your coat."
"Will do. I won't be a minute." she said with a small smile. She stood in front of the mirror, checking that she looked ok. Sure she was only going to work, but she hadn't been there for
over a year, not since Jamie was born. She was a lot different now to how she was before. She loosely plaited her hair, zipped up her boots, grabbed her bag and made her way out of the house and to the car. Once inside the warmth of the car they drove to Jess' mum Michelle's house to drop Jamie off.
"Do you want me to take him in?" Callum offered.
"No it's OK, I will." she said with a smile. She slung the nappy bag over her shoulder before unhooking her slumbering baby from his car seat and gently rocking him. His eyes opened slowly, gracing his mother with eyes that were the same as his father's. Jamie gurgled happily as she made her way down the gravel path. Her mum had opened the door before she'd even had a chance to knock.
"Morning darling, come in quick before you catch a cold!" Michelle said cheerily, ushering them inside, waving quickly at Callum who was waiting in the car. "Are you all ready?"
"I guess so. So much has changed mum, Smithy's the Inspector now and there's a new Sergeant who I've never met before who apparently I will love. Its all changed and what if I don't fit in anymore?" Jess asked, her insecurities about returning to work coming forth.
"Of course you'll fit in sweetheart, It'll take you a day or two to get back into the routine and get to know everyone again, but you will be fine. I promise you. Now come on, off you go before you're late." Jess pressed a kiss to Jamie's head, shutting her eyes as he wrapped his podgy arms round her neck.
"Bye my beautiful boy. Me and daddy will pick you up tonight ok? Have a good day with nanny!" Jess cooed to her son before handing him over. She kissed her mum on the cheek before leaving the house and making the short drive to the station.
They walked into the station hand in hand, Jess feeling the familiar happiness at being back where she belonged. Callum looked at her and saw the smile.
"There, I knew you'd be pleased to be back." he said.
"It's not that I wasn't looking forward to it, I was so excited to be coming back." Jess began, not sure how much to say. She knew that if she confessed how worried she was about fitting back in, Callum would just fret and fuss over her all day.
"Well what is it then? You know that if you don't tell me I'll get it out of you somehow." Callum warned, pulling her into his office before she could get changed.
Jess smiled at her husband, "I'm just scared. I feel like this is my first day of secondary school. I've been off for a year raising Jamie, and everything is different now. I mean, it's bad enough just having a day off because of sickness, but a whole year! What if I've forgotten how to do it? Or I mess up somehow?"
"Jess, you're going to be wonderful. Being a police officer is like riding a horse; sure you fall off but you've just got to get back on and carry on riding. How many times do I have to tell you? Any anyway, its not just you who's starting today. Smithy's missus is staring today too." Callum said, hoping that would make Jess feel better. It didn't.
"Ah yes, the wonderful Maura." Jess said shortly.
"Why are you saying it like that?" Callum asked, eyebrows raised.
"Well all I've heard from you and Smithy is how much I'm going to like her and how we're so alike and we'll get on brilliantly. But when you're hyping her up that much I become sceptical." Jess replied.
Callum sighed, "You'll be able to find out for yourself in about an hour won't you. Now stop panicking. I'm sure I just saw Sally walk past, why don't you go and let her tell you that you're going to be fine as well. And no ringing your mum every hour to check on Jamie."
Jess hit him playfully on the arm before leaning in for a kiss, "I better go and get changed. I'll see you in a few."
"Break a leg!" Callum shouted as Jess walked out the door. He looked round his office before heading back out to get changed, getting ready for another day on the streets of Sun Hill.
It felt so strange to Maura to put her police uniform back on. It was winter, and therefore time for the uncomfortable and scratchy jumpers to come back on. She wished she was still in Barbados with Smithy: she just wished she was anywhere but here, the place where everyone surely thought she was a violent boyfriend-beater. Trying to hold her head up high, she walked from the locker room and went to the Sergeant's office. She had the desk that had once been Smithy's, which was right opposite Callum's. It was strange to think that he'd once been her superior and now they were equal rank. She was alone in the office and casually walked around to his desk and bent down to look at the photograph on his desk. The pretty blonde woman, she supposed, must be Jess and the baby nestled between them must be their son, Jamie. He was an adorable little boy and a half-smile crossed her lips. She didn't notice Callum appear in the doorway behind her.
"What're you doing?"
His voice cracked the air like a whip and she jumped backwards, looking scared, as if, he thought, she was expecting him to attack her.
"Sorry, I was just looking," she said meekly, walking back to her seat. "At your photograph. Your boy's...lovely."
"Thanks," he said, watching her take photographs of her own from her bag and set them on the desk. "Smithy said Max started school. How's he getting on?"
"I think he likes it. He adores his teacher at least, but he's always been a little slow to make friends."
"Sorry I scared you," he said, sitting back behind the desk. "It's good to see you back Maura."
"I'm not sure that's going to be a popular opinion, but thanks."
"Don't be so sure," he said. "You have been missed around here. And you haven't met Jess yet, I'm sure you two are going to get along brilliantly."
Maura smiled but felt a small prickle of irritation. For weeks, this Jess had been all she had heard about and she couldn't help but wonder what it was that made her so special. Smithy rapped sharply on the door and asked his two sergeants if they were ready yet. They both nodded and followed him out of the room to begin the morning's briefing.
The sea of faces before Maura were all smiling and welcoming, but she still had the urge to draw nearer to Smithy. She ran her finger up and down the small engagement ring on the fourth finger of her left hand. It felt strange not to be wearing her wedding rings, but the time felt right for her to move on – that was what Sonny would have wanted. She was twenty-four, too young to spend the rest of her life mourning his death.
"...so, I think that's all," Smithy said. "Anyway, even though I know she's probably going to kill me for it later, I just wanted to say it – welcome back Maura."
Maura's face flushed as a small cheer ran around the room. Smithy slipped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a light squeeze. There was a time when she thought she wouldn't be accepted back at Sun Hill: that a mob would hound her out if she were to ever step foot back through the front door. To be welcomed back with open arms was overwhelming.
She reddened, pushed her hair behind her ear and said; "thank you. It's nice to be back."
"And Jess, it's great to have you back as well. This is Maura. I'm sure you two are going to be the best of friends."
Maura looked uneasily at the woman she had correctly assumed was Jess when she had came into the room with Callum and Smithy. Since she had been away from Sun Hill, not a lot had changed: Gina had gone, Smithy was now Inspector and she was Sergeant in his place. But there was this new Police Officer, this woman, who'd been there for ages and she didn't even know her. She'd heard from Smithy that she'd had about a year off to look after her son and that in itself irritated her. When Charlie was born, she couldn't afford – literally – to have even the first month with him. She'd had to go straight back to work and was forced to leave the caring to her father and Tom. When she used to pick him up, he was like a stranger to her: she'd barely known her own baby. She'd only begun to be able to bond with him when she'd moved to Sun Hill in witness protection two years ago. Maura's dark brown eyes met Jess's light green ones and she felt a strange shiver run down her spine. Neither woman smiled. Maura could feel the toxic mix brewing in her stomach and the feelings of dislike.
Jess entered the briefing room with Callum and Smithy to smiles and the calls of all her old friends. She smiled and said hello, pausing on her way to her seat to be engulfed by Tony.
"Great to have you back Jess. Things will be a lot noisier now you're back! How's that little boy of yours? Sergeant Stone shows us pictures, he's a handsome lad." Tony said, releasing Jess.
"He's brilliant thanks Tone, starting to pull himself up and walk a little bit. And he said his first word the other day! He said mama! I cried I was so happy." Jess said with a grin, moving to take her seat to Sally. Sally squeezed her arm.
"Thank God you're back! Dream team reunited! Promise me you won't procreate again for a good few years yet." Sally warned, her voice dropping to a whisper as Smithy began the briefing.
"I promise. I'm not going through that again anytime soon, don't worry! I could always count on work being reliable when my personal life was up in the air, but I leave to have a baby and suddenly it's all change! New Inspector and a new sergeant. Trust me, I won't be leaving again soon. So what can you tell me about the new sergeant?" Jess asked curiously, her eyes flicking to the new sergeant who was stood nervously twiddling with her engagement ring.
"Not a lot really. She seems like a fair woman, works on her instincts a lot. Something happened a few months ago, between her and Smithy, and she just left for a few months. And
then suddenly Smithy announces she's coming back and being given his old Sergeant role!" Sally whispered.
"Cor, I wish being married to Callum got me perks like that! So she's a bit of a dark horse then?" Jess wondered.
"Yep. She was a right loner when she first started, but once she came out of her shell she was a laugh, most of the time." Sally said with a nod. Jess' attention snapped back to the front when Smithy welcomed back Maura, who blushed furiously, and then Smithy turned his attention to her, welcoming her back and informing her, like everyone else had, that she would soon be best friends with this Maura. Jess looked intently at the young sergeant, their eyes meeting. Jess stared blankly at her, no hint of a smile on her face. She didn't know what it was about the woman, but there was something that didn't quite strike right with Jess. And she had a feeling that it wouldn't be improving anytime soon.