Timeless
Chapter Two

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first part, especially Leanne for helping! The third and final part will be up sometime soon as my last exam is on Wednesday. Woo!
Please review! Vikki xx

"So remind me, who is he again?" Leanne asked as she and Suzie made their way out of the station.

"Zain; I used to work with him when we were at Sun Hill together. We were good friends actually but we haven't been in touch for a while."

Leanne raised her eyebrows at Suzie. "Good friend eh?"

Suzie punched her lightly on the arm. "Yes, just good friends. Anyway, I've got Luke to think about now as well." It was true, she had been thinking a lot about her feelings for Zain. Seeing him just now had made her remember how she had felt about him back at Sun Hill. She hadn't been brave enough to act upon them and then he had got together with Kristen but now the feelings were resurfacing. She was confused too because up until about an hour ago she had been very happy with where he relationship with Luke was heading.

"Yeah, you never did finish telling me about last night!" Leanne said.

Suzie laughed. "C'mon we've actually got to do some work today!" She sighed. "Okay, okay, I'll tell you in the car!"

Half way through the day DCI Dean Tyler approached Zain at his desk where he was running checks for another officer.

"How are you settling in?" He asked.

"Quite well thank you sir." Zain replied, looking up from his computer screen.

"I didn't realise you knew DS Sim." He said, his expression didn't change but there was a tone of voice that made Zain feel uncomfortable.

"We worked together about six months ago at Sun Hill." Zain explained.

Tyler nodded slowly. "I hope it won't interfere with your work." He said.

"Excuse me sir?" Zain asked, clearly his boss had got the wrong idea. "There's nothing going on between DS Sim and I." He assured Tyler, though deep down he actually wished there was. There must be some kind of chemistry between them for Tyler to pick up on it or maybe he was just a very good detective.

"So are you and Luke going out again then?" Leanne asked, as she drove the car back towards the station a few hours later.

"We haven't made any plans as yet but I'm sure we'll go out again soon." She smiled.

"Last night was that good then?" She joked.

"I'm not about to go through all the gory details again!" She laughed. Any further conversation was stopped when Suzie's mobile began to beep.

"DS Sim?" She answered, she was still getting used to being a sergeant rather than a detective constable.

"Hey Suze, it's Luke."

"Hiya." Suzie smiled at the sound of his voice.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, good thanks and you?"

"Great thanks. What are you doing tonight? I was thinking about dinner, some good wine and an early night." Luke hinted.

Suzie faced a dilemma and had no clue what she should do for the best. She hadn't seen Zain in ages and he needed her support after everything that had happened. Then here was Luke, he was her boyfriend now and her loyalties should be to him but she still wasn't sure.

"I'd love to." She replied instead, and then paused for a beat. "But I can't tonight babe, I have to work." She lied, hating herself for doing it but she couldn't see any other way out.

"Heya." Suzie said, approaching Zain's desk later that day. She had reapplied natural make up and let her hair down in front of the mirror in the locker room. She wanted to look like she had made some kind of an effort even if she was still in her work suit.

Zain's face lit up with a smile when he saw her. "Hi, good day?" He asked.

Suzie smiled. "I should be asking you that but yes thanks, it was a good day. How was your first day?" She asked.

Zain continued to smile. "I think you should buy me that drink first."

Suzie smiled and led the way to the pub around the corner that was usually quite quiet except for coppers from this unit.

"This is nice." Zain said, sitting across from Suzie and drinking from a pint glass of beer. "Reminds me of the Canley Arms in some ways."

Suzie nodded. "I think that's why I like it so much. It's like home from home."

"Do you miss Sun Hill?" Zain asked, turning his beer glass round and round on the coaster in front of him.

Suzie nodded. "I love my new job and I love being a DS now but yeah, I miss it. I miss the people." She added.

Zain nodded slowly. "I will too." He stopped and then smiled. "At least I have you."

Luke Willows entered the pub at about nine o'clock that evening with a few of his friends from law school. Since Suzie had put a stop to his original plans for the night he had decided to go out and enjoy himself without her. He did like her a lot but he didn't see why he should sit at home alone while Suzie was at work.

"I'll get the first round." He told his three friends as they went to find a table. Luke ordered the drinks and waited for the barmaid to pour them. While he was waiting he scanned the interior of the pub. It wasn't one of his usual haunts as he preferred the wine bars in town but it still served its purposes. He knew this was one of Suzie's favourite places to drink so maybe if he waited long enough he would catch her after work. As he brought his line of vision back around to where the barmaid was pushing two beers and two whiskeys towards him he caught sight of a familiar figure. He clenched his fist around the ten-pound note as he handed it over and muttered that he didn't want any change.

Suzie came to the end of her third glass of red wine and knew she should stop soon or she would be having more than just a hangover to worry about in the morning. Any thoughts of Luke had vanished from her mind for now and she was having trouble that this was just a drink, or several, between friends rather than a date. She wondered if Zain was feeling the same.

"Maybe we should call it a night." Suzie said, fingering the stem of her wine glass. "I don't want to get you in trouble with the boss on your second day!"

"Just one more, hey?" Zain asked, not wanting this night with Suzie to end. He reached across to take her glass, his fingers brushing against her's as he did so. There was no denying the electricity between them.

Luke waited until the Asian man had headed to the bar and then he chose his moment to approach Suzie. He tried to keep calm but pure rage was bubbling not far beneath the exterior. He crossed the room in only a few long, purposeful strides. Luke then slipped into the chair that Zain had only just vacated.

"So, this is why you blew me off then?" Luke began, his voice a little louder than it really needed to be. "To meet up with some other bloke? Why did you lie to me? Wasn't last night good enough for you?" He demanded bitterly.

Suzie took a deep breath; maybe cancelling her date with Luke tonight hadn't been the best of ideas.

"Zain is a friend." She emphasised the word. "I knew him from my old job and he's just transferred into my unit. He doesn't know anyone else here and I thought he could with a friendly face." She explained, keeping her voice calm and even. "I had already made the arrangement before you called and I knew you'd be like this about it."

Luke sighed but he still wasn't satisfied. It was at that moment that Zain headed back towards the table a glass in each hand. He looked from Suzie to Luke and back again questioningly. Luke waited until Zain had set the drinks down on the table before standing up and lunging his fists at the other man. This took Zain aback and Suzie leapt to her feet in shock.

"Luke!" She exclaimed. "What the hell was that for?" Zain wanted to know too, his cupped his nose with his hand, hoping that it wasn't broken. Suzie turned her back to him when she didn't get an answer, she looked at Zain instead; concern obvious in her dark eyes. "Come on Zain, I'll take you to the A&E."

Luke watched them go, angrier with himself now than anyone else as he realised what he was losing.