Disclaimer I do not own Law and Order UK. Kudos, ITV and Dick King own all. No copyright infringement is intended nor should be inferred

Never Again

Matt slammed the car door shut as Ronnie walked away from the small car. The murder scene was a few yards away and he knew half of London had probably contaminated the evidence before the case was even called in. The rain battered the soft earth as he headed through the park, knowing Natalie and a SOCO officer were waiting for them.

"Morning." Ronnie rubbed his hands together to get warm as he realised Natalie was walking towards him. She looked on the verge of tears. "Natalie? Guv?"

"Hiya. Matty with you?"

"Yeah." Matt announced as he joined them. "What is it?"

"Go back to the car, Matt." Natalie paused as the rain soaked them. He knew Natalie and Ronnie were protective of the team - him and Angie especially. Now it just frightened him.

"Who is it?"

"Matt."

"I know it's not Lesh. I just left her. Who is it? Not Kathy? She's still away." He made to step around Natalie as Ronnie touched his shoulder.

"Matt, don't. It's a white adult female. In her 60s."

"Right."

"Matt, mate. It's your mum." Ronnie spoke calmly as Matt shook his head. His mother had disowned him years earlier. His stepfather chosen over him and his younger sister. He stared at Ronnie for a moment, letting the words sink in.

"Carole George? You sure?"

"She has ID on her." Natalie spoke. "There's a photo of you and Kathy in a locket."

Matt narrowed his eyes. He felt sick. His mother had given birth to him but as far as they were both concerned that was as far as it went. He counted Ronnie and Natalie as family - the parent figures he had never had.

"She was murdered?"

"Joy is going to do the PM later today but we won't know until then." Ronnie explained. Matt nodded. He knew there was no way Joy would even make a guess at the cause of death until she had the body back at the mortuary.

"I have to see her." Matt stepped away before Ronnie could stop him. Moments later he saw the porcelain white body laying in the copse a few feet away.

"Matty!" Ronnie called as Joy looked up.

"Ron!" She called as Matt stopped.

"It's her." He looked at the dead woman. "That's Carole George. Joy, run some tox tests; especially alcohol."

"Ok." Joy nodded as she realised the young detective knew the deceased. She would normally have given him a lecture on how to do his job but the way Ronnie had shook his head as he led the younger man away stopped her. Natalie closed her eyes for a moment. Things had been going too well recently, she had almost expected something to go wrong. Since Wes' murder she had been unsure what would happen but knew something would.

"What's that about?" Joy asked as she got to her feet. Natalie sighed.

"The dead woman. She's Matt's mum."

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