A/N: So I accidentally fixed the ending...spoilers for 'The One That Got Away', so don't read any further if you don't want it spoiled. Sorry for the fluff, and sorry if there's any mistakes...I'm usually a total perfectionist but I'm falling asleep and if I don't post it, I never will! Reviews would be lovely :)

"When you walk out of here, just don't look back."

It was a week since Sandra had heard those words, yet they were echoing around her head and obscuring the normal airport soundtrack of chatter and noisy wheeled suitcases.

Those words had made her choke up at the time. She'd struggled to maintain her composure and despite the fact she'd long since dropped the professional front before him, she didn't want Gerry to see her cry. Sandra Pullman was still a strong woman. She'd spent ten years perfecting that facade and she was damned if she was going to end that time a sobbing mess.

Gerry had seen that and he'd understood. That was why he left the office when he did, ushering the boys out to the pub and giving her a moment to say goodbye to the place she had called home for the past ten years.

Sandra joined them at the pub afterwards and it was the raucous affair you'd expect if Gerry Standing and Steve McAndrew were to plan your leaving party, but she already felt like an outsider in her own team. Gerry was doing his best to keep his distance and she barely knew the other two. Even Strickland hadn't tried to sit too close and buy her copious amounts of alcohol, as he usually did on occasions when they'd found themselves in a pub together.

.x.

"You alright honey?" Max's words broke through her thoughts and she wondered how much of the inner turmoil was showing on her face. She forced a smile. She had to leave now; Gerry and Strickland both as good as told her to leave and everyone was fairly sure they'd already found a replacement detective to head up UCOS.

"Yeah, of course. It's just a big change that's all." She attempted to speak reassuringly, but her voice sounded fake and forced. Max didn't seem to notice though and he reached over to squeeze her arm, but the close moment was soon interrupted by an apologetic member of airport staff ushering them through check in.

"Electronical items in the tray please." Droned another, bored-sounding member of staff. As Sandra extracted her phone from the bottom of her handbag she checked it out of habit.

1 missed call

1 new text message

Both were from Gerry.

She entered her pass code to open the message and shielded the screen away from Max, craving some privacy for no good reason. She opened the message first, assuming it had followed the missed call.

"I know you said you were flying out today but I must have missed you. Have a safe flight and enjoy the new job, you deserve some happiness. Bye Guv! xx"

The exclamation mark lightened up the ending to the text but it was still very final. This really was goodbye. Tears welled up in her eyes and she turned away from her companion, desperately trying to blink them away. Gerry had made it clear that he didn't want to keep in contact and now she was rapidly becoming aware of the fact she would probably never see him again.

Any sane onlooker would expect her to text back a pleasant response, a friendly goodbye, and turn her attentions back to the attractive man by her side. But all of a sudden she felt sick with doubt. Max didn't know she drank cappuccino with half a sugar, that her favourite driving CD was Shania Twain and that she absolutely hated heights.

But Gerry did. Gerry knew all these things and more. He remembered them because he cared.

She thought upon Jack's words. "They'll cope without you. Even Gerry." She'd questioned what he meant but she had known. She'd known all along. In her sudden moment of clarity, the room began to spin. The enormous airy departure room felt claustrophobic and she felt thoroughly sick.

What was she doing? She was leaving the few people in the world who cared about her, she was leaving the person who she knew would drop everything to comfort her in the middle of the night, she was leaving the person who had done just that. And for what? Some whirlwind romance? Life in sunnier climes?

Everyone was right; she did need to move on. She needed a new job and a new challenge. DSI Sandra Pullman could catch serial killers and maybe that's what she should be doing, but not in a foreign country, worlds away from everything that was familiar to her.

.x.

Gerry was at home, serving up Sunday dinner for his girls and various other members of his extended family when the doorbell rang. In all honesty, he'd invited them round to take his mind off the fact that today was the day Sandra left the country for good.

"Aren't you going to answer that Dad?" Emily asked.

"Nah it's probably just someone selling something. It won't be anyone important. Everyone important to me is in this room." He winced slightly at the poignancy of the lie and ignored the knowing look of disbelief on Emily's face.

The doorbell rang again and Gerry gave in.

"Hi." That one syllable was all the blonde lady on his doorstep could manage for the time being.

"Sandra! I thought you'd have gone by now." He exclaimed and then paused, expecting an explanation for the visit, but she remained silent.

"Is there a reason you're standing on my doorstep Sandra?" Gerry's cockney bluntness made an appearance, the question sounding harsher than he had intended it.

"I left him at the airport." She blurted out, almost interrupting Gerry's previous sentence and then trailed off again, not knowing how to continue.

Gerry tried not to jump to conclusions and believe that she really was about to say what he never thought he'd hear from her. Almost before he could send a silent prayer to the gods he didn't normally believe in, she continued. "You're right; I do need a new job but I don't want to leave London and I don't want to leave you." Sandra had spoken the last six words softly, but they were unmistakable. Without even waiting for a response she kissed him, gently at first but as she placed a hand on the back of his neck and pulled him towards her, he became even more convinced he was dreaming.

That was how Emily found them when she glanced down the hallway to see what was keeping her father. "I'll finish dishing up the potatoes, Dad's a bit preoccupied," she announced to his other guests with a smirk. She had no idea what had warranted the senior officer's sudden change of heart but whatever it was, she thoroughly approved.