"Pete?" Gill's voice was shocked, she hadn't expected it, and as a police officer she wasn't sure if she could let it go.

"Ma'am I..."

"He were just having a bit of fun" Sharon slurred from the sidelines.

Gill stared hard at Pete. She was very disappointed. "I'd like to see you in my office first thing tomorrow morning."

"Yes ma'am"

"He hasn't done anything naughty" Sharon was perched on the car next to what Gill now new to be Pete's.

Gill turned her head slightly as if to acknowledge that she was addressing both of them as she spoke. "I think DC Readyough know that he has committed multiple offences"

"We were only enjoying the party" Gill couldn't help think that Sharon's Mancunian drawl was rather annoying to listen to.

"What you have done is outraging public decency, section 66 of the sexual offences act 2003." Gill was blunt. She also wished she didn't know that off by heart.

Pete hung his head and Sharon jumped off the car she had been perched, with about as much grace as an elephant on a pogo stick. Gill was unsure what to do. She hadn't actually seen them, so it wasn't really prosecutable, but she knew what they were doing, and she really couldn't let it go.

"Go home Pete"

Pete nodded and quickly got in his car. As he drove away Sharon turned on Gill.

"Now look here inspector" Sharon's finger was now waggling in Gill's face. "You think you're so much better than the rest of us" She paused dramatically. "It was only a bit of fun"

"I don't..." Gill began, but Sharon hadn't finished.

"You look down on me." She took another step towards Gill. "You think you're so good, and that my Rachel will do anything for ya. From the first day..." Sharon staggered and Gill wondered if she were about to get vomit splattered shoes, but Sharon continued "From the first day" she repeated, Gill wasn't sure if this was for effect, or the alcohol. "...my Rachel talked about you as if you were bloody God. She thinks you're better than me" Sharon's words were so slurred she couldn't really make them out.

"Mrs Bailey..." Gill began.

"Do I look like I'm married anymore?" Sharon shouted, waving her arm around wildly. "See, I bet you think that's where you're better than me and all. I bet you've got the perfect... model... f'mily, with 'usband oo loves yuu"

Sharon's words were so slurred now, and she struggled to regain herself. Gill raised her eyebrows and nearly smiled at how ridiculous it was that Sharon should even feel slightly inferior to her in the relationship department. She was pretty sure Rachel's dad couldn't have topped Dirty Dave.

When Sharon spoke again she seemed to have regained herself, although she still spoke in raised tones.

"I think you need to piss off"

Charming, thought Gill.

Rachel had just stepped outside for what she had decided was a well earned fag-break. She really didn't know what to think. Had she married Sean for the right reasons? She felt so conflicted and confused. She was also highly embarrassed about her mother's behaviour that evening, she was already thinking that letting her mother back into her life was a rather big mistake as well.

Suddenly she was aware of raised coming from the car park around the side of the building. She walked up to the corner and peered round. In the automatic light from the side of the building she was able to see two very distinct figures, and she couldn't believe her eyes when she recognised her mother's purple dress, and her boss' rather daring choice of glittery blazer.

She took the decision and marched up.

"What's going on?" She asked sharply and they both turned around. Her mother looked an absolute state, and Gill looked less than impressed.

"Rachel" Sharon slurred.

Rachel looked from her mother to her boss.

"Rachel..."Gill seemed now very uncomfortable, and she wasn't entirely sure what to say.

"What's going on?" Rachel repeated. "Mum?"

"Nothing Darling, just a...misunderstanding" Sharon had leaned against the car for support again.

"Rachel, I think your mother ought to go home" Said Gill quietly.

"I'm not going anywhere you stupid bitch. This is my daughter's wedding"

"Mum!" Rachel was appalled she was speaking this way to her boss.

"You might as well tell her" said Sharon laughing. "It won't shock her that much"

"Tell me what?" asked Rachel, suspiciously looking at them both again.

Gill took a deep breath and looked Rachel, still rather embarrassed. "I found your mother indulging in indecent conduct in the car park with a male" She didn't want to have to say it was Pete.

"Right" Sharon had definitely been correct. Rachel looked less than shocked.

She walked up to the pair of them and turned on her mother. "Mum, how can you do this?"

"It was only a bit of f-"

"No mum" Rachel was shaking her head in disgust. "I'm a police officer mum. I have to respect the law, and you getting your tits out for all and sundry is considered to be breaking that law. How does that look on me?"

For a moment she had forgotten that Gill was behind her, but Sharon certainly hadn't. She was waggling her finger dramatically at her again.

"Is this what you've turned her into?" she said accusingly

Gill wasn't entirely sure what to say. Rachel pushed her mother's arm down, out of her boss's rather confused face.

"Mum, you're ridiculous"

"She's turned you so snobby you look down on your own mother. You don't respect me"

"I'll respect me when you learn to respect yourself. Look at you" Rachel pointed at her mother's dress which was twisted and bunched up so her chest was fully on show. "You're a mess, I don't know why I thought you'd changed"

"But baby..." Sharon had put her hand out to Rachel's face, but she batted it away furiously.

"No mum, stop"

"I just..."

"You're a complete embarrassment. Just look at yourself, look at the way you're acting. This was a mistake" she was shaking her head as Sharon's face went sour. She turned on Gill again.

"This is your fault"

"Mrs Bailey I-" began Gill, but Sharon wasn't finished.

"You stupid, snobby, good-for-nothing cow" Sharon slurred, the finger was waggling at Gill again.

"Mrs Bailey" said Gill calmly, "I think you should go. You're embarrassing your daughter and causing an unnecessary scene. Unless you want me to arrest you?"

Sharon looked at Rachel, then back to Gill. "Are you go'rra let her speak to me like that?"

Rachel was glaring at her.

"Mrs Bailey?" said Gill again. Suddenly, something seemed to snap in Sharon and she ran at Gill, but Rachel was quicker. With one swift movement she had changed Sharon's course of flight completely and she went stumbling into the now empty parking bay that Pete had recently left. Rachel was then on her. She grabbed hold of her by her shoulders and shook her violently.

"What the HELL do you think you are doing you ridiculous woman?" she shouted. "You think assaulting my boss is a good idea is it?"

"Why are you protecting her?" Sharon shouted back.

Rachel was fuming, and Gill could see that the situation was quickly going to escalate. She took out her mobile, found the number of a saved cab company she knew to be local, and rung them.

Rachel was still shouting abuse at her mother and Sharon, attempting to stay standing and swaying slightly under Rachel's grip, was still trying to comeback.

"you filthy bitch" Sharon yelled at Gill as Rachel restrained her.

Gill put down the phone.

"I'm sorry boss"

Gill shook her head, "Taxi is on its way"

"I don't need a fucking cab, I'm not going anywhere" slurred Sharon, trying to loosen herself from Rachel's hold. She turned to Rachel and tried to grab at her face but Rachel restrained her. "Rachel, please" her mum's voice had changed. "Rachel, I'm your mum"

"You're a stupid, insecure, pathetic excuse for a mother" Rachel snarled, and Gill winced at the bitterness in her tone.

Sharon Bailey stared at her for a moment, before beginning to cry. At this point Rachel loosened her grip and let her mum fall slowly to her knees, sobbing. Gill felt very uncomfortable as she saw the expression on Rachel's face. It was one of utter anguish and resentment. Gill didn't know what to do.

"Mum?" Rachel said slowly, but her mum just stayed on the floor, rocking and crying.

Rachel shook her head slowly, blinking away tears as she turned to look at her boss.

"I'm so sorry" she said weakly.

"It's ok kid" said Gill softly. She knew it hadn't been Rachel's fault, and more than anything she sympathised with her. Rachel was a strong and wonderfully driven person who Gill inwardly admired and willed to succeed. But right before her was Rachel's past, unravelling into the sad, sorry mess of what she had dealt with her whole life. Gill took a step towards Rachel, as her Detective Constable bowed her head, no longer able to hold back the tears. In that moment she remembered the way Rachel had reacted to finding out that Nick Savage had attempted to kill her. Gill realised the true extent of Rachel's grief, and the reason she had broken down in front of her. Rachel always loved, and always lost. Everybody she had ever truly put faith in had let her down. Well Gill vowed in that moment that she would never let her down, and that she would always be there for her. She tentatively held out her hand and placed it on Rachel's shoulder, squeezing tightly. But, unlike Gill usually would, she did not pull it away. She had never felt such a strong maternal instinct towards someone, and for once she wasn't ashamed to lower her personal defences and show someone some genuine compassion.

What neither of the two of them saw, as they stood there linked by a single touch, was Sharon Bailey raise her head and stare directly between the two; a look of pure resentment etched into every feature of her face...