An: this was something I came up with and I couldn't wait till I'd finished happy families to post so yeah. Thanks to my friends Sophie and Brittany for help with proof reading and stuff. Please review it means the world xxxxx

XxX

The call was one of the worst of his life. It sent him on a mission to get to the given street name as soon as possible, struggling to stay in the speed limit as he went. When he arrived he saw the car being pulled out of the river and a body in the drivers seat. That was Kate's car. He looked around desperately. There was an ambulance. She was sat in the back, alive.

He walked quickly over to her. "Kate." He said and she looked up. She was shivering and had scratches all over her arms and on the side of her face. What the hell had happened here?

She got to her feet and wrapped her arms around him. He returned the hug holding her close to him. He could see she needed someone there with her. She was shaking, he didn't know if she was cold or if she was afraid. Maybe it was both. He gently stroked her hair, kissing the top of her head. He slowly felt her move back slightly to look at him.

"Why are you here?" She asked.

"Ronnie called me. Said you'd been in some kind of accident."

"I wasn't driving...Emerson was..."

"Why?"

"He was waiting outside after I came out of the pub. He had a gun. He grabbed me. Made me give him the keys. He made me get in the car. He was driving like an idiot then he crashed and went into the river. I jumped out the car before it went in."

They both looked over to where a body bag was being zipped up.

"Are you okay?" He asked putting his hand to her cheek seeing her eyes were brimming with tears but she wouldn't let them fall.

"Can you take me home?"

He nodded. Ron could wait for a statement if she'd not already given one. He took his jacket off and wrapped it around her before putting his arm around her too and guiding her to his car. She kept his jacket over her in the car, her gorgeous 'Kate' attire of blouse and skirt didn't offer her much warmth at midnight in April.

Pulling up outside her house they both got out the car and went inside.

He sent her to go and get changed whilst he made her a cup of tea, he wanted her to sleep so coffee didn't seem like a good idea. He handed it to her when she returned and she took it gratefully.

"Thanks Jake."

"Anytime."

He was about to say maybe he should go even if he didn't want to but she took his hand. "Stay. Please."

"Of cause." He gave her a small comforting smile, he hadn't wanted to leave her on her own after the night she'd had but hadn't wanted to make her feel uncomfortable. He could still see she looked scared and stepped closer to her put her hand on his shoulder. "It's okay."

XxX

Kate woke up with a start. She called out for Jake without thinking. Her heart was thundering and she felt sick.

Her bedroom door opened.

"Kate what is it? Are you alright?" Jake asked crossing the room to her.

Her breathing was laboured and her eyes were wet.

"Sorry..." She gasped gripping the sheets trying to calm herself down she felt so embarrassed. "It was just a dream. I'm okay."

He sat down on the edge of the bed. "You sure? Are you gonna go back to sleep?" He met her gaze and could see there was so much she wasn't telling him.

"Will you stay with me?"

He nodded, how could he not. He didn't know what he and Kate was relationship wise. Were they friends or more than that. The way thy acted around each other. The constant flirting. He put all of that out of his mind. After everything she'd been through that night she just needed him there to know she wasn't alone. "Yeah."

She moved up and he laid beside her, lifting his arm for her to come close to him. She did. She laid her head on his chest and he wrapped his arm around her. She felt safe when she was with him. She didn't know why. She'd never had to be dependent on anyone else to protect her. They way she'd been brought up you had to take of herself.

Conner Emerson had been accused of murder and decided to take his anger out on Kate. She was lead prosecutor of the trial. Now he was dead.

Jake felt guilty, he'd left the pub early to go and make sure Henry was aware of what was going on in court leaving Kate with Joe. She then left alone which was when Emerson targeted her. If he'd stayed with her would this have happened? Would Emerson had come after them both? He doubted it. He wouldn't have tackled the both of them, but Kate on her own?

"It's not your fault you know?" She said softly and he smirked at the fact she was able to read his mind. "Just because you left early."

"If I had stayed."

"No Jake..." She sighed. "He had a gun. We know what he was capable of and we know that he would've probably just killed you on the spot and I couldn't live with myself if that happened."

He gently rubbed the skin of her arm. "He could've taken you with him."

"I'm still alive though."

"Thank god."

She smiled slightly feeling relaxed in his arms. She lifted her head and Jake wondered what she was going to do. She reached her hand up to touch the side of his face before kissing the corner of his mouth.

"Goodnight Jake."

"Night Kate." He said holding his breath for a moment. Stroking her arm again he noticed she'd gone back to sleep.