Authors Note: This is a continuation of the alternate ending of Death Trap, meaning that Michael Jardine is still part of the team and that Jackie had been shot by Kennedy. This story continues on from this point of Jackie return to work.

If you like the start then i will continue it. There are many different ways i wanted to do this story. Especially with the Michael or Robbie preference but I made a decision on one of them but i hope both Robbie fans and Michael fans will like it too.

Disclaimer: As ever don't own any characters

The Recovery

Chapter 1: The Night Before

The past few months had been difficult for Jackie. She had been recovering from being shot by Kennedy. Every time she closed her eyes she saw Kennedy. She would see his face. Remembering the look he gave her as he toyed with her, pointing the gun at her.

She sat on her couch, a glass of whiskey cradled in her hands. She had become accustomed to waking in the middle of the night. She relived the shooting over and over again. Every night she would wake up with a jump and a gasp, in a cold sweat. At first Brian had been supportive. He had gotten up with her, tried to talk to her about it. His patience had worn thin though, and he would now just continue to sleep when she would wake.

She had found it heart breaking that just as her friendship with Michael had been in some ways reborn that her marriage had been deteriorating. She tried to talk to Brian about their relationship, but he didn't seem interested any more. She couldn't bring herself to tell Michael about it, she felt as though she had failed. That she hadn't gotten over the shooting as well as Brian had hoped.

She looked at her work clothes hanging on the door. She couldn't believe that she was to return to work the next day. She was torn, being stuck in the flat all day was not for her but she couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't ready to go back. Michael had been round all the time to check up on her, which she secretly enjoyed. Even Robbie and Stuart showed an interest in how she was; the only one who wasn't interested was her own husband.

Chapter 2: First Day back

She woke up on the couch, she must have fallen asleep. She peeled herself up of the couch rubbing her eyes. 'This is it then' she thought to herself. "Morning darling" Brian said he kissed her lips gently. "Morning" she kissed him back.

"Things will be better now, now that you're going back to work. Things can go back to normal!" he said he gently grabbed her hand and brought up his lips and gently kissed it. "yeah, do you fancy going out for dinner tonight?" she asked thinking he was right, that things would maybe better now that she was returning to work. "Yeah that would be nice!" He smiled. "But won't the lads want to take u out to the pub?" He put on his suit jacket ready to go.

"That a point!" she said

"I don't mind honey, have drinks with the lads and well do something special tomorrow night!" She smiled. It was as though he had heard her thoughts and was trying to make an effort. "Have a nice day!" she kissed his mouth deep. The first passionate kiss they had shared in a long time, he brought his hand gently stroked her cheek as he kissed her.

Chapter 3: Back at the Office

Jackie was stood outside the building looking up at all the offices. She had been in a few times whilst she was off but it felt different this time. This was her returning to work. There would be no escaping when things got a too much for her. She wasn't a nervous person before but being in a crowd had somehow made her nervous. She took a deep breath and summoned the courage to walk in.

Michael had walked in the office with a spring in his step. Jackie is back today he thought. A smiled beamed across his face. He walked over to her desk where he slipped a chocolate bar and a post it note saying 'welcome back'. He had missed her, missed her company in the office.

Jackie had walked in behind him. She could see him slip chocolate on her desk made her smile.

"Good morning!" He spun round to see her, excited to hear her voice.

He didn't even think about it just wrapped his arms around her. "Welcome back!" he beamed she hugged him back. It felt good to have his arms around her.

she broke off the hug and hung up her jacket. "Robbie and stuart in yet ?" she asked.

"There out this morning, interviewing a witness to murder yesterday!"

"What's the case?" she asked.

"Well I was thinking that you should ease yourself in!" she sat in her desk switching on her computer.

"I'm back Michael I don't need coddling!" she said firmly she hated people walking on eggshells around her, no matter how much she may have needed them to.

"I know!" he said. "I'm glad to have you back Jackie!" She smiled it was nice to feel like she belonged some were. "let me get settled and we can go over the case!" she said logging into her computer she was surprised that she remembered her password it had been several months since she had used it but it had all came back to her like second nature. It was nice really nothing had changed she would just go back to normal like nothing had happened.

The morning had been going by fast she had a lot of emails clogging her inbox, case files that needed finished up, notes needing writing. She knew that Michael had handled most of the unfinished work she had before she had came back. "Hello Stranger!" Robbie came up behind her and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Hello Robbie," she turned into a hug she had missed Robbie and his charms. He was followed quickly by stuart. "thank god your back, Robbie is doing my head in!" he exclaimed as she giggled, she hugged him. "right now all this hugging is out the way who is going to make me a cup of tea" she giggled.