Only Human
It was easy to forget, sometimes, that Sandra Pullman was only human. She was as tough as old boots, she was extraordinary in so many respects, despite everything that life had thrown at her, but beneath it all, she was the same as everyone else. Fragile. He was still undecided whether that made them worry more or less about her- on one hand, it was sometimes simple to assume that she would cope with whatever happened, because she had done before, but on the other, her relentless strength seemed too incredible to continue for any longer. One thing could break her, mentally, physically. Or could it? Who knew? Certainly not him, at any rate.
That was why he worried about her so much, that was why he analysed her constantly for any sign of sadness, or just anything out of the ordinary. Ordinary was good when it came to Sandra, and UCOS as a whole, because it meant that she was safe. Safe from the trauma of her father's lies. He stopped his train of thought there. He worried too much about her, and he knew it. But it was only because he had seen the real Sandra Pullman, the woman behind the mask of Detective Superintendent, the woman who was strong and vulnerable and wonderfully warm and icy cold all at the same time. He had seen a woman he loved, and that had reminded him that she was only human, that he was only human, and it could all end just like that.