I can't tell you how many things I've got going at the moment. Still trying to write poetry and failing magnificently. Working on a Waterloo Road fic, with Nikki and Tom together – they have to! :')

But I digress, I decided I'd push all that aside and continue this fic, I kind of owe it to everyone who has read and reviewed and alerted and favourited this story so far, it brightens my day so much, THANK YOU!

Don't know if I mentioned it last time, but this story is dedicated to MadMaudlinOfBedlam. Again. Because it just is.

Run till it hurts

Warning: This chapter is complete and utter drabble.

I want to fly and run till it hurts,

Sleep for a while and speak no words,

In Australia.

"Have you murdered someone, Kevin?"

He turned, his face as guilty as if he had, his eyes wide with the shock of hearing her voice, minus the weakness now, "Ma'am?"

"Indeed. Hello, Andy. Mitch."

"Boss," Andy nodded, with a glance towards Janet. She shrugged, leant against Rachel's shoulder.

What was the world coming to when Sherlock – reputable for his (her?) hopelessness with people perhaps even more than his brilliant intelligence?

What the hell did it matter?

Gill was okay, Rachel was okay, she was okay.

"So have you?"

"What, Ma'am?"

"Murdered someone?"

Kevin looked confused.

"You may recall a conversation we had a few months ago, Kevin, after a certain incident with DC Bailey here, and PNCs, and... well, you may recall it, anyway," she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, "When I told you I could get away with murdering you all, because I knew how. I suppose the same logic applies to you."

"Ma'am, I... I haven't murdered anyone."

She pointed to her wrist. He looked at her watch for a moment, as though expecting the clock face to tell him the answer to this riddle, but then looked at his own wrists, and realised what she was talking about. "Oh, right, Ma'am. It's chocolate."

"You murdered my chocolate cake?"

"No, Ma'am, we..."

Andy coughed, stepped in to protect his junior, "There was an incident, Ma'am. I'll take full responsibility."

"Oh, Christ, Andy, it's a cake," Janet murmured.

Gill gave him her darkest glare, "Where are my donuts?"

"Well, Ma'am, we were waiting until you came back before I..." Kevin shrugged, standing up, "I'll go get them now."

Her scowl broke into a smile, and it wasn't a smile as though she was laughing at him, but an almost warm smile, "It's okay. I'll cope with the carcass of the cake. I'm watching my weight, you know?"

"Put us all to shame, Ma'am," Mitch chuckled.

She raised her eyebrows. Kevin watched her for a moment, and then he held out his arms and hugged her.

Rachel had to turn away, for fear she might burst out laughing. Or maybe crying, actually. Rachel never knew what would happen with her emotions.

Janet, beside her, stepped forwards with a knife, and it glistened in the light from the falling sun outside. It gave her an odd sensation, to be this close to something that had so nearly killed her.

It gave her an odd sensation to be in the same room as the man who'd whispered I love you as she'd slipped into unconsciousness, though, and she just had to live with that.

"I love you, Ma'am," Kevin grinned as he pulled away from her.

She looked as though she might cry again, "Don't."

"Sorry. I hate you, Ma'am."

"Errm," Andy lifted the half-eaten cake up and handed it across to Rachel, who helped Janet cut it.

The balloons still floated around, and Mitch took one and wrapped the string around his arm, "Nice blowing-up technique, Rachel."

"You don't know how wrong that sounded," she said dryly.

"I have an idea."

Gill took a slice of the cake and sat down at Rachel's desk, tucking in with her fingers, not bothering with the little plastic fork Andy waved in her face, "This is nice, Janet. Thank you."

Janet smiled, because she knew the gratitude stretched a little further than just the cake, "You're welcome."

"Hey, cow," Julie said from the doorway.

"Oh God, not you, pig," Gill murmured, but she stood up and hugged her best friend, and they didn't even need to say anything else. They knew; they always knew.

"Can we go to Australia on a work trip, Ma'am?" Mitch asked casually, spinning the screen of his computer round to show a photograph of a beautiful beach, the waves crashing against the shore, "Please?"

"Nope," Gill sat back down.

Julie sat down too, "Alright, Kevin?"

His eyes widened, "Yes, Ma'am."

"Good."

"This is... mmm..." Gill licked some cream from her fingers, "DCI Dodson. She's my best mate."

"And Kevin's worst enemy," Julie added.

"Pleased to meet you," Andy held out his hand.

"Likewise."

"Yeah, hi," Rachel smirked across the room at Kevin. So many things she'd heard about this woman. She wasn't even that ugly.

"Hi."

There was a long silence.

"Can someone get us a whisky, please?" Gill kicked off her heels and laid her legs across Julie's, "It's in the cabinet."

"I'll go," Mitch grinned, "If we can go to Australia."

"We're not going to bloody Oz."

"I'll even arrange the flights, if you like," he shrugged and stood up, humming under his breath as he left. I want to fly and run till it hurts, Sleep for a while and speak no words, In Australia.

Rachel smiled, "Bless him."

"So, Ma'am, you going to tell us what's wrong?" Kevin sat down beside her and dipped his finger in the icing on her cake.

She pushed his hand away, "Nope."

"But..."

"Kevin," Andy and Janet warned at the same time.

"Okay, Ma'am. We will," Kevin paused, "We will respect your wishes. But you do know we're here for you, if you want us, right?"

"Agreed," Julie grinned, taking some cake.

Gill smiled, "Tomorrow. Maybe."

Janet groaned as she glanced around the room, and saw all the happy faces, and then saw Andy's, and realised her own must look the same; miserable, moody. She was turning into him, wasn't she?

Must be the effect of sleeping with a man you knew you shouldn't, when you just couldn't help yourself.

Don't own Scott&Bailey. Don't own the lyrics either, they're from Australia by Manic Street Preachers, due to my renewed obsession with them. I'm rather odd, I know, but it's a good song. So is This is the Day. *plots for next chapter*