CHAPTER 1

Please leave a REVIEW for this story. It's been written for Leah Day as she provided me with the idea! My muse seems to have abandoned me for now but hopefully will return soon! As usual I hope you like what you read!

It was in the early hours of a humid Saturday morning that Dan and Peter finally opened the door to the house that Dan had occupied with Leah for the past number of years since their marriage. They had set about on a drinking and fast food binge earlier the previous evening and, come the turn of one, observing the scattered and greasy remains of partially eaten pizza boxes, chip paper and discarded beer cans now littering Peter's somewhat unlived in apartment the blond haired detective had finally decided to walk his younger brother home, being the rather more sober and coherent of the two.

Now however it took a while for his bloodshot eyes to adjust to the sudden glair of the inside. Clicking the light switch beside the door as they entered through the kitchen and sending him stumbling into a nearby table leg as he struggled to support Dan's weight beside him… much to his brother's obvious amusement.

Peter's frustration at this was evident – his facial expression momentarily conveying that his mood was not as mellow as he was struggling to maintain – although lost on the lack of anybody coherent enough to witness it. Realising then that he was probably the only one in a stable enough frame of mind to recall any of this come the morning he patiently drew up a chair before lowering Dan's unsteady form down onto its hard wooden seat and, crossing the kitchen tried to recall how to use the large electric kettle with the intention of making them both two ample sized servings of strong, black coffee.

He soon turned as he heard a thud from behind him however to see that Dan, having slipped precariously from his position on the seat to the old, tiled floor below was now sitting with his throbbing cranium resting on the chair, eyes closed against the effects of encroaching sleep.

Peter smiled, recalling the very first time Dan had succumbed to the effects of drink. It had been years since he had seen his brother looking so vulnerable.

"Chairs are for sitting on not sleeping on Dan." He informed the young brunette as he patiently made his way over, ignoring the shrill whine irrupting from the kettle, indicating that it had come up to the boil, as he did so. "Lets get you into the living room. You can sleep on the sofa tonight."

Dan opened his eyes, recoiling immediately as they were suddenly met with the sharp light of the room. "Switch that thing off will you?" He asked with a grimace, although it was unclear whether he was referring to the glowing electric bulb protruding from the ceiling or the squealing kettle as he suddenly eased himself into a standing position before carefully lowering himself back down onto the chair again.

Peter sighed. "Sugar in yours?" He asked as he removed two sizable mugs from the cupboard before filling them with the strong scented coffee granuals from the jar by the sink.

Dan nodded gratefully. "Thank you." He slurred. "Three."

Peter gingerly added three heaped teaspoonfuls of sugar to the rich aroma now emanating from the chunky mug before laying it down on the table in front of Dan.

"Thanks mate." Dan smiled appreciatively in Peter's direction, who returned his gesture reassuringly with an acknowledging pat on the shoulder.

"God Dan how did you manage to get yourself into such a state?" The blond haired detective enquired of his brother as Dan, taking a sip of the dark brown liquid before him, recoiled slightly at the coffee's sharp taste.

"You're as drunk as I am." He pointed out.

"Only just." Peter laughed, immediately grasping the bridge of his nose as he did so, sharp pain suddenly gripping his head like a vice as the alcohol in his veins finally began to take a hold of his body. "I feel sick." He suddenly interjected as he raced for the sink, hand over mouth, before hanging his head heavily over the basin.

"I bet it was that last can of larger that's done it." Dan informed him, a concerned frown passing over his face as he carefully rose form his position at the table before crossing the kitchen to fill Peter a glass of water, their roles suddenly reversed as the coffee began to have the desired effect.

"Well I didn't notice you holding back." Peter suddenly snapped as his unsettled stomach did nothing to improve his fragile mood. The change in his brother had been so unexpected that even Dan shot Peter a warning look as he abruptly pushed the glass of water away. "Anyway I thought that you didn't indulge in that anymore… you never know what it might lead to!"

"What?" Dan asked, confused by the sudden turn that the conversation had taken.

"Betting!" Peter remarked with uncharacteristic malice, to which Dan in his drunken state couldn't help be retaliate.

"Well at least I've never made a pass at my own brother's wife." He snapped. "Although I guess some people just can't have been able to help themselves if they're prepared to let it happen twice."

"Either that or the wife can't have been getting enough action where it mattered most." Peter shot back, with the trade mark egotistical tone to his voice of the toxic alcohol now coursing through his system as it finally reached his brain.

Suddenly Dan lunged at him, expression full of fury as he grabbed Peter by the neck, holding him up by the collar of his now rather dishevelled shirt. But Peter was ready for him, pre-empting his reaction as he threw a punch in his brother's direction, striking Dan squarely in the jaw before driving him to the ground.

"What's going on?" A voiced from behind him suddenly made Peter turn to see Leah standing in the doorway to the living room. The registered shock on her face told him that she had seen everything. "VJ's asleep in his bedroom!"

"Leah… what are you still doing up?" He asked.

"It was too hot, I couldn't sleep. So would somebody please mind telling me what's been going on in here!" She frowned angrily.

"It's not what it looks like…" Peter tried to explain.

"And what does it look like?" She asked as she made her way over to help Dan to his feet, smelling the immediate stench of alcohol on his breath as she approached. "How much have you two been drinking?"

"What's that got to do with anything?" Dan slurred, glancing up at Leah's disapproving expression as she struggled to manoeuvre him into a nearby chair.

"Everything by the looks of it." She commented before reaching for the first aid kit under the sink to deal with a rather nasty looking slip to Dan's lower lip. "And as for you Peter," She continued as she turned to glance at her now rather subdued looking brother in law. "I think its time you went home, don't you?"

"Leah…" The young detective faltered.

"Just go Peter… you're not welcome here whilst you're in this state." She declared. For a moment though Peter looked as though he may be about to respond, but the angry glare in Leah's eyes conveyed very clearly that her decision was final and, even more obvious, that there would be no further reasoning with her any time soon, and so it was that with a despondent sigh Peter finally picked up his coat and left.

It was a further few moments however before Leah could bring herself to face her husband. "You alright?" She asked at last, a steely tone to her voice.

"Sure." Dan replied. "My lips busted, I'm bound to have a rotten hangover in the morning and my brother's an asshole, but apart from that I've never been better."

"Things probably won't seem so bad by the morning." Leah responded rather more reassuringly as her own temper finally began to cool after the initial shock of the situation had worn off.

Peter meanwhile, struggling to get his head around the events of the past few hours, left Dan and Leah's house heatedly behind. Failing to notice however the dark figure concealed within the bushed lining the garden path, tracking his movements carefully as he went.