Chapter 2

It was Saturday and Patrick who had been looking forward to having the day with his wife was both shocked and a bit upset to see her run down in uniform ready for work.

"I didn't think you were going in today." He said to her.

"I didn't know myself till yesterday." She said as she poured herself some coffee and started getting herself some toast. "But you know how busy we are right now, we can do some thing next week." She said. Begrudgingly he kissed her. Up till the last few months she had been quite content in his eyes but now all she ever wanted to do was be at work with her friends.

When she got there she went in to the locker room once she had sighed in as usual, and for all the normal suspects in the room, getting ready for the shift.

June, Gina, Kerry, Cathy, Garry, Craig, Reg and Des were all there.

"Morning Sarge." Said Kerry.

"Good morning," she said cheerfully.

Her eyes wondered over to Des who didn't look at her, she felt a slight disappointed but he was like that, she thought to herself. Hot and then cold. He wasn't deeply romantic, well not all the time and that suited her. It meant that he was discreet enough in work and passionate enough outside of it.

"Right!" said Gina, "Reg have you got the report for me?" she asked and his face drew a blank.

"What report…. Oh that report. I can have it ready by five."

"I need it this morning." She sighed. "Well alright, but that means you are not out on the streets, so who will pair up with Des for the day." She asked.

"I can do it." said Sheelagh.

"Fine," she said to them. "Have a good day all. Reg get to your desk." she order, peeved at the longest serving PC she had.

"Sorry mate." Des said to his best friend.

"My own fault really. I knew I should have been doing it last night," he shrugged.

"Right, then I shall see you at the end of the shift." He said to him.

"Come on Taviner." Said Sheelagh. They had a job to do.

"Cor mam, slow down. Any one would think you wanted to have me all to yourself or something." He said with a smirk as they walked down to the area petrol car.

"You think you are so smart don't you?" she asked him.

"Well there must be some thing about me." He said as they got in and shut the doors. "To have landed me a beautiful woman such as yourself…. I didn't stop thinking of you for a second last night." He told her.

"I know," she muttered. "Me neither."

He knew she had the kids and that was what bonded her to Patrick but some times when Des thought of the two of them together it drove him mad with passion for her. Hatred for him. He was jealous of Patrick and he supposed she knew this dn well.

"I hate the thought of you being together." He admitted. He had to tell her how he felt.

"Des you mustn't be jealous of him. I don't love him like I do you. I never have and never will." She told him.

"So leave him. Come home." He urged her. He was of course thinking of the flat both there home.

"We have been through this a million times; I have to find the right moment to tell him and the kids. I am coming; it is just going to take time." She said to him.

He knew that. "I know sweetheart," he sighed. "I know."

"Be patience and I swear we will be together soon."

It was then that Sheelaghs phone went off. She had a text. Getting it awkwardly out of her pocket, due to the way she had been sitting, she read it.

"Its Patrick. He wants us to go out to dinner tonight." She said to him, and he was able to here the dread in the voice.

"What are you going to do?" he asked. It was the Saturday shift, and most people who worked a Saturday didn't do Sunday so nine times out of ten the relief who had worked when on down to the pub to make a night of it. That was the great thing about the Sun Hill relief. They weren't just colleagues. They were then greatest of friends too.

"I don't know." She said as she put it back with out replying.

She knew what she would so if it was purely a case of heart over head. She would go for a drink with the guys. But her head was inn the way and it was listing the reasons whys he should go to her husband. Well there was number one. He was her husband. Two, she had been at work with the others so much that she had hardly seen him. Three, if she went then she would probably end up sleeping with Des again. But number three in her heart was more a reason to go than to not.

"Well if it makes a difference I want you to go for a drink." He said.

"Des you know that is going to make a difference." She said to him. He smirked.

"That was the point."

She shook her head. "Just drive PC Taviner."

It was a fairly quite day for the two of them on the best that day and most of it they just drove in silence both of them lost in thoughts of the other. And of Thursday night. Shee knew that had been the night when in her heart of hearts her love for her Des had been confirmed.

How was she meant to walk away from him tonight?

"Do you want to grab a Tea?" asked Des as they got back to the station.

"Yeah sure," she said as they walked down to the canteen.

When they got there they found they had been beaten there for reak by over hald the relief who were already sitting there laughing.

The rest of the day followed the same pattern the morning had for Des and Sheelagh really. They found a young lad at the market trying to shop lift but a caution had been issued and he had looked scared enough by that or no further action to be taken. He hadn't actual taken any thing, but the stool holders had been worried about him and a small word had been in order.

By the time that they returned to the station they found all the relief had again beaten them back to the locker room.

"You two coming for a drink?" asked Kerry.

"I will." Said Des with out a second thought. His eyes then went and rested on Sheelagh, "You coming?"

"Yeah." She nodded. She would. She had had a good day and was not ready for it to be over yet.

"Good." Said Reg to them both who had been listening.

"How did the report go?" asked Des.

"Alright I guess." He said. He was dying to get to the pub though. He, just like all the others hatred being stuck in the station all day.

"Right, whos ready?" asked Garry and every one nodded.

When they got there Tony was nominated to get in the first round and so the others went and sat down in the comfortable brown leather arm chairs and settees. Shee and Des sat on the two seated side by side.

"Well another successful shift down." Said Gina.

"I will drink to that." Said Kerry smiling.

"Glad to hear it." the sergeant smiled.

Then every one broke off in to there own little conversations of two or three which tended to happen when you were in such a big group.

"You know what I don't think I could ever be in CID." Said Des.

"Why not?" asked Cathy.

"I just think it'd be boring being behind a desk all day.! " he commented.

"They do a lot of good work though." Said Gina.

"Yeah I know, I just don't think it'd ever be for me." Said Des. "So you think any of you lot would ever try for it." he asked.

Gary nodded. He didn't want to be a PC for ever.

Sheelagh sat back and took in all the conversation, rarely commenting on what was coming up. Maybe this was what she liked about being in the group. It was the fact they had a common bond and conversation was so easy flowing. It wasn't like it was at home. It had been like that once, but not any more.

"Right I do believe it is my round." She said at last. "Every body want the same again?" she asked and they nodded, so she went off to the bar.

When she had been standing there maybe no more than twenty seconds she felt another body beside her.

"I changed my mind. I want a bitter." Said the voice.

"That is what I got you."

"Then maybe I just wanted a minute with you on my own." Said Des.

"You're awful." she accused him.

"I know I am but maybe that is why you love me so darn much." He said.

"I think it is." She agreed.

"Thanks for coming tonight." He said to her, his mysterious eyes glistening. "I know we haven't spoke a lot but you have made my night." He said to her.

She nodded.

"Give us a hug." She said to him.

"What with every one watching?" he asked her.

She nodded. "Especially with every one watching."

He held her tight and kissed her forehead as she clung to him. It felt good to know she was ready to give him affection in public. Some how it felt as if when she did they were closer to being together for real.