A/N Thanks for all the great reviews for chapter two. Later than I'd intended - sorry - but here's chapter three.

One And One

Chapter Three

Shaz hovered quietly in the corridor, spying on the scene as covertly as one could when they were wearing a white frilly dress and had spent the majority of the day being the centre of attention because of it. She hadn't deliberately set out to listen in to the people currently in her sights; well, maybe she had just a little bit but for a legitimate reason. It was the bride's prerogative to make sure her guests were enjoying themselves and whilst she knew that most of them were currently doing just that, the muffled talking and laughter coming from the large lounge area of the hotel where the aforementioned guests had decamped to whilst the hall was being cleared for the disco - the ones who hadn't departed for the day or escaped to their rooms to freshen up, anyway - was proof enough, there were two guests in particular that she feared might vehemently resist such a notion. Two guests who were more likely to throw barbs rather than confetti. And though she'd promised Alice and Elizabeth that she'd leave the problem of the Guv and DI Drake to them she'd wanted to know exactly how well her plans were progressing because, so far, she couldn't quite tell.

All in all the reception had been a success; the meal had been met with approval all round and the speeches had been variously proud (her father), stuttering (her husband; oh, how she was beginning to like that word - both of those words) and downright crude (the best man, of course) making it a memorable day for all who were present and for differing reasons. But, thanks to her aunts, at least her guests wouldn't look back at this day and remember the one thing she had been fearing: an explosion - of either words or food - from her superior officers. As the afternoon had progressed, and with one part of her plan apparently working, she'd found that she had been able to relax and enjoy herself, though her gaze had drifted to a certain table a few times. The sights that had greeted her on those occasions had been mixed: there'd been no angry glares, no forks being jabbed across the table and no third party needing to physically restrain the Guv and DI Drake - unfortunately, there'd been no sign of conversation between them either, no indication that the other part of her plan was being put into place. For a brief moment, when DI Drake had abruptly stood up - the movement catching Shaz's eye - and walked away from the table, Shaz'd thought that it had all gone horribly wrong; the Inspector, however, had only paid a visit to the ladies, during which time Alice and Elizabeth had rounded on the Guv - though he had remained stony faced throughout their interrogation.

She'd lost track of both of her superior officers, and her aunts, in the aftermath of the reception when she'd been swallowed up with congratulations and well-wishes and caught between hellos and goodbyes. Eventually finding herself in the lounge along with most of her guests she'd finally spotted the Guv and just in time to see him sloping off in the direction of the small bar that was attached to the hall, Aunt Alice following in his wake. Abandoning her husband, with a parting request that he make sure Ray didn't come looking for the Guv, she'd followed them to the bar hoping that all wasn't lost.

Stepping forward slightly she had a clearer view of Alice but she could only see the back of the Guv's head; he was facing her aunt, listening to whatever Alice was saying. Unable to quite make out what her aunt was saying she risked inching further forward and as the Guv began to respond she ignored the good manners her parents had instilled upon her and listened in.

"No, you're wrong. She hates me."

Alice shook her head, a smile gracing her lips. "That's not what she said."

The Guv turned away from Alice and Shaz held onto her breath; she could now see his profile so there was a very good chance that he would see her too and she didn't want to get caught - or hinder Alice in any way. She exhaled softly when he didn't look any further than the bar in front of him, more concerned with blowing out a plume of smoke. "Oh?" the Guv asked casually.

"Yes," Alice confirmed, leaning in just a little towards the Guv, who had now turned his attention back to her. "She told me that you two used to be very close. That she wished you still were." Shaz wasn't sure if her aunt's statement was true or not; she suspected it wasn't because the Inspector hadn't seemed drunk enough to confess to anything but she continued to observe in silence as, like she'd seen the Inspector do with suspects in the interview room, Alice waited for a reaction from DCI Hunt before proceeding any further.

"She certainly doesn't act like she does," the Guv answered, another stream of smoke accompanying his words and his gaze falling back onto the bar in a dismissive manner.

"Because she thinks you don't want the same thing any more," Alice explained calmly. "But you do, don't you?"

Shaz held her tongue rather than her breath that time. There was no way on this Earth that anyone else would get away with asking the Guv such a question. The way things had been lately she certainly had no intention of ever being so blunt with the Guv, and never before either, but her aunt held no such fears or reservations. She didn't know if it was something that came with age or something that was merely permitted because of it - or even if it was just the way both of her aunts were - but it was something that she'd always admired. Even so, the Guv had yet to reply and she wondered if Aunt Alice had finally met her match. She was on the verge of giving her position away and rescuing the old lady when the Guv finally succumbed to her aunt's questioning.

"I did something... I did some things."

"I know," Alice agreed quietly, nodding her head slightly to confirm her statement when the Guv turned to her once more; Shaz could only imagine the questions that must have been in his eyes, the anger that must have been on his face, at the thought that a relative stranger knew about such things. It would take mere seconds for him to put two and two together and Shaz would probably spend the next year making endless cups of tea to make up for it but, she reasoned quietly with her fingers crossed behind her back, it'd all be worth it if she could, with her aunts' assistance, put one and one together. "Apologise to her," Alice said in a tone that sounded like an order.

The Guv stared at Alice for long moment before his gaze gradually dropped away again and Shaz - though thrilled by her aunt's forthrightness - briefly wondered if her aunt had finally crossed a line with him. DCI Hunt continued to ignore her aunt, slowly stubbing out his cigarette and then finishing off the last of his pint before responding. "Not as easy as that," he replied defensively.

"No, it's hard. The best things always are. She'll forgive you," Alice pushed once more but the Guv remained silent once more. "Let me buy you something a little stronger," she offered softly.

"Look, Alice. I'm not going to-"

"For courage," the old lady interrupted, determined to stop him from voicing any further protestations. "And then when she's forgiven you, maybe you can start to forgive yourself."

Shaz stepped backwards at the sharpness of her aunt's words, turning her gaze away as she did so and suddenly noticing the waitress who was stood down the other end of the corridor. The girl looked at her and then towards the bar, forcing Shaz to wave her hands frantically at the younger woman in denial and reluctantly move away. She slowly headed towards the lounge in further support of the idea that she hadn't really been eavesdropping. Thankfully the waitress followed her without a word but Shaz quietly cursed the interruption, glancing backwards and listening out for the Guv's, now horribly familiar, growl. She suspected that just as the Guv's guilt had kept him away from the Inspector it was also responsible for his anger; an anger that he was willing, unfortunately, to share with everyone else. Everyone it seemed except, judging by the distinct lack of yelling coming from the bar area, her aunt.

Turning her attention back to the lounge, convincing herself that Alice was currently placing a whiskey in the Guv's hand and cajoling him further, Shaz managed to greet the ensuing well wishers that came up to her with a smile. CID had now arrived en masse and looked to be in good spirits, ready for a night of drinking and celebrating - the change of scenery no deterrent to the usual routine - and she welcomed each of them. Eventually Chris made his way towards her, a soppy smile on his face and a glass of some strange concoction in his hand, the latter causing her smile to fade a little. "Go easy on the drinks, Chris."

"Why?"

"Because I have something very special planned for tonight and I don't want you letting me down."

Chris looked puzzled for far longer than he should have before finally managing a quick, 'Oh' and swiftly depositing his glass down on the nearest table. "Wilko that," he smiled.

Leaning in for a quick kiss a whoop of cheers rose up in response, courtesy of CID. She turned and smiled good-naturedly at her audience until she spotted Ray sat in the corner, his attention solely on Karen and oblivious to what was going on. And Karen seemed to be enjoying herself, too. Her husband followed her gaze before turning back to her and opening his mouth to say something. "Have you seen DI Drake?" Shaz asked, cutting him off before he could even begin and cutting out thoughts of Ray and Karen. She'd find out what was going on with those two later because there was another relationship that was of more concern to her. If Alice was busy trying to convince the Guv to talk to DI Drake then Elizabeth had to be doing something similar with the Inspector and Shaz wanted to know if her other aunt was having more success.

Chris closed his mouth for a second in thought. "Think she's still outside with Elizabeth. Your aunt said she needed some air and asked the Boss if she'd go with her. I offered but she wanted DI Drake..." Chris trailed off mid sentence, a look of suspicion not quite crossing his face as he gazed at Shaz.

"Thanks, lover," Shaz smiled, kissing him again. She couldn't kiss away his curiosity this time but she wasn't ready to elaborate any further just yet either. It was partly stubbornness and partly hesitancy that had kept her silent on the matter; Chris hadn't wanted to get involved with the Guv and DI Drake in the first place and for all of his apparent concern about today he had left her to re-arrange the table seating - so why should she tell him what she and her aunts were up to? Especially if it didn't work out as planned because she could just imagine the, albeit gently bestowed, 'told you so' he'd offer her at that point. "I won't be long," she explained, without really explaining anything and left him standing there in the middle of the lounge as she took a sharp left and headed outside.

"He doesn't care about me."

Shaz heard the familiar voice of DI Drake floating towards her as she neared the large doors that led outside and she slowed her steps in response, hovering in the entrance to the hotel. It was dark outside but peeping around the corner she could clearly see her aunt and the Inspector sat in front of the hotel. They were perched on a picnic bench, facing the building and the lights from the hotel illuminated them both. She wondered if Elizabeth had chosen that particular spot for the view it afforded - or if it was just a coincidence - because from their angle she knew, from her previous visits to the hotel during the run up to the wedding, that the two of them would be able to see right through the hall and into the bar where the Guv and Alice were sat.

"I really thought that he did. I really thought..." The Inspector's voice faded off into the cool early evening breeze, the sentiment unfinished.

"But he does care about you," Elizabeth consoled, causing the younger woman shake her head in denial. "He practically told me as much and I could see it in the way he looked at you, too. The way his eyes followed you when you made your way out of the hall." Again, Shaz doubted the veracity of her - other, this time - aunt's words; the Guv was even less likely than DI Drake to admit to anything even if, as she suspected - and her aunts must have, too - the sentiments were true.

DI Drake seemed to agree with part of that assessment as she shook her head again before looking away. "He was probably watching my arse," she said softly, though not entirely dismissively.

Elizabeth smiled her agreement, "Maybe." The old lady bent forwards a little so to better catch the Inspector's eyes but DI Drake continued to stare at the ground. "You're a smart woman. The only female Detective Inspector in the Met, Sharon told me. So you must have considered the fact that, after everything that's happened, he thinks he doesn't deserve you."

There was a long pause before DI Drake responded, time enough for Shaz to wonder if the Inspector had ever given much thought to Elizabeth's suggestion. "Maybe he doesn't."

"You don't really believe that, do you?"

"Yes, I..." the Inspector started firmly, her head shooting up defiantly, her eyes staring straight ahead into the hotel, and her words petering out. "I don't know," she admitted eventually, her gaze still fixed inside the hotel and her tone somewhat softer. "Did he tell you that?" she asked finally, her head turning back to Elizabeth. "That he thinks he doesn't deserve me?"

Elizabeth smiled warmly. "It's the truth," she said, side stepping the answer.

"Mmm. It might just be true," DI Drake conceded. "But I doubt he told you any of that. Gene Hunt doesn't let anybody in, not even you and Alice - as lovely as you both are," the Inspector said softly, taking hold of Elizabeth's hand and squeezing it gently as if to signify that she both understood what the other lady had been trying to achieve and that she bore her no grudge because of it. "I doubt he ever will," the younger woman added on sadly before abruptly rising from the bench.

Shaz quickly stepped backwards at the movement, turning on the heel of one of her beautiful, but increasingly uncomfortable, shoes. Hurriedly she made her way back into the hotel, a dark cloud threatening to follow her inside and settle on her perfect day. Her aunts' attempt to open up negotiations between the Guv and DI Drake, after 'baby-sitting' her superior officers so effectively, was above and beyond the call of duty - and so much more than Shaz'd ever dared do. It was just, judging by the responses of both her DCI and DI, she wasn't sure that it was going to be enough.