Disclaimer, Pairing, Rating & Spoilers: See chapter 1.

A/N: Well, I think I finally know where I'm going with this fic – at last! Hopefully this chapter is up to par – be warned for strong language as Boyd and Sarah both lose their tempers….Other than that, enjoy! :)

"Come in," Boyd barked shortly, removing his reading glasses and looking up from his scattered files, returning the telephone handset in his grasp hastily back to its base and affixing a neutral expression to his features, despite the righteous pounding of his heart against the bones of his chest.

Sarah stepped swiftly into the room, halting in her tracks and raising a knowing eyebrow as she noted his actions. "I see. Grace already given you due warning, has she?"

Boyd's expression darkened infinitesimally and he fought to maintain an even tone. "Take a seat, Sarah."

She held his gaze for a long moment before acquiescing, her lithe body folding into the proffered chair, the tension in her posture clear as she immediately crossed her arms. "You did say your door was always open."

The senior DSI's stare was glacial. "To discuss work-related problems, as you damn well know."

"This is a work-related problem."

He inclined his head in challenge. "Go on, then."

Sarah exhaled incredulously. "You're not serious. You actually expect me to believe you don't know what I've come in here to say?"

"I want to hear it from you."

"Because you don't think I've got the guts?"

Boyd barked a mirthless laugh. "I've got no doubts you've got the guts…."

"What, then?"

"….What I doubt is your sense of better judgement." He narrowed his eyes, the pitch of his voice dropping to a dangerously lower register. "Why don't you prove me wrong?"

Sarah raised her chin in defiance, her pale eyes never leaving his. "By not asking you if you're sleeping with Grace?"

He ignored her and continued steadily, "By keeping your damned mouth shut."

"In case I 'out' the two of you, you mean?" she scoffed in derision. "Give me a break, Boyd. The whole of the Met already knows."

"Right. This being the same grapevine that believes I spend my days beating suspects to a pulp and breaking every rule in the book."

"It's a question of knowing which rumours to believe."

"Interesting that you're choosing to believe the ones regarding my personal rather than professional conduct."

"It amounts to the same thing when you're heading up a Unit."

"Does it?"

"Of course. If you're having an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate."

Boyd fought the urge to roll his eyes. "She's not my subordinate."

"Colleague, then. What difference does it make?"

"What difference does any of it make? Whatever may or may not be happening in my private life, it's got absolutely nothing to do with how I run this Unit."

"It does if the person you're sleeping with is also a member of said Unit." Sarah threw up her hands in frustration. "Jesus, why can't either of you see that?"

"Because it's bollocks. Complete and utter bollocks."

She raised a sceptical eyebrow. "So you'd be okay with it if other members of this team were sleeping together, would you? You wouldn't consider that a potential conflict of interest?"

"Not if they kept a clear line between their professional responsibilities and their personal lives; no."

"That's how you justify it to yourself then, is it? The fact that no-one's ever caught you?"

Boyd took a deep breath, willing an uncharacteristic calm to his bloodstream, Grace's warning words reverberated clearly around his skull. "Did I say that?"

"You honestly only think it would be a problem if…?"

"If people were spending the working day shagging against their desk tops?" He blew out a disdainful breath. "Of course that would be a problem. But it's hardly bloody likely, is it?"

"And you don't think it runs deeper than that? That if two people are in a relationship it can affect how they interact at work and as a consequence, affect the whole dynamic of a team?"

"You've been here five minutes, Sarah. I don't think you're exactly in a position to be lecturing me on the dynamics of my team."

"It's more than just team dynamics, Boyd. I'm serious about it being a conflict of interest; a potentially catastrophic conflict of interest, at that."

He shook his head dismissively. "If you honestly think that my professional judgement could be so easily compromised…."

"You're saying it couldn't? That if you were pushed to choose between your relationship with Grace and your responsibilities to this Unit…?"

"And what kind of scenario do you think that could possibly be applicable in?"

Sarah smiled triumphantly. "So you are admitting to a relationship, then?"

Boyd felt his patience evaporate in a sudden mist. "Oh, for fuck's sake, grow up, Sarah."

"No, I just want to be clear. I think you owe this team at least that much."

"So what are you proposing here? That I call a meeting specifically to document the intimate details of my sex life…?"

She rolled her eyes. "Now who needs to grow up?"

"What, then?"

"Just an admission. An admission that you're putting this team in a vulnerable position because you're having difficulty keeping it in your trousers."

"Give me a fucking break."

"Are you denying it?"

"Just what exactly are you accusing me of?" Boyd exhaled forcefully, irritation bubbling hotly beneath his skin. "Screwing Grace or screwing every member of my team?"

"Oh, for God's sake…."

"I'm deadly serious. You're throwing unfounded allegations around with impunity and you expect me not to call you on it?"

"It's semantics, Boyd; whether it's Grace or someone else in the Unit, my concerns remain the same." Sarah ran a hand roughly through her hair and sighed heavily as she considered her preceding words. "I just don't understand what was going through your mind when you thought it would be a good idea to start a relationship with a colleague. You're a senior police officer with more than thirty years' experience and you…."

"I don't have to explain anything to you; who the hell do you think you are?"

The younger officer's pale eyes hardened to stone as she continued venomously, "I mean, what was it, Boyd; desperation? Where you really so hard up that you couldn't find anyone outside of the Unit to…?"

"You're pathetic. Either start outlining some proven concerns about this Unit or get back to work and stop embarrassing yourself."

"You're not listening to me."

"Oh, I am, Sarah. But all I'm hearing is your dogged and vitriolic determination to force cracks into this team without due cause."

"That's not what I'm doing. This isn't personal, Boyd; if Grace worked for someone else, it wouldn't even be an issue."

Boyd snorted contemptuously, his voice laden with sarcasm. "That's big of you. I'm so relieved I'd have your approval."

"I'm just saying I'm well aware that it would be none of my business."

"And it's your business now because…?"

Sarah threw up her hands, her stomach twisting with frustration. "Because you're her fucking boss in all but name, for Christ's sake! Because this is a Unit that's already on a knife-edge and one that doesn't need people with personal agendas to compromise its position within the Force any further!"

"Oh, come on! You're honestly telling me you're so fucking altruistic that the future of this team is top of your priority list?"

"As opposed to what?"

"As opposed to looking out for yourself! Don't try to pretend you don't have a personal agenda here too, Sarah…."

"Of course I do!" The blonde blew out a harsh breath. "Jesus Christ, Boyd; I'm more than aware that if I fuck up here then that's pretty much it for me as far as my career is concerned!"

"And you think that antagonising your new colleagues is the key to that, do you?"

"I'm just trying to safeguard this Unit against implosion! Personal relationships are an absolute guarantee for that!"

"Based on what? Your own experience?"

Sarah's emerald eyes darkened angrily, a jolt running through her as she read an insinuation behind his words. "You think I shagged my way to my rank?"

"Of course I don't; I wouldn't stoop to your level…."

"Oh, how very fucking noble of you."

"….But this is exactly how rumours get started. And it doesn't help when people blindly believe such rumours instead of…."

"I'm not blindly believing the rumours. I have eyes, Boyd…."

"That have seen what?"

"Enough to know that I'm right."

Boyd rolled his eyes. "Well, that's conclusive, then. Call the fucking review board."

"Whatever. I know I haven't got this wrong." She shook her head with determination. "My conscience is clear, Boyd; can you say the same?"

The senior DSI held her gaze squarely, fire rippling across the surface of his obsidian orbs, his voice dropping threateningly. "Unequivocally."

Sarah snorted disparagingly. "Because you don't think you're doing anything wrong?"

"You know, I'm getting pretty damned sick of repeating myself here…."

"So don't bother, then."

"…but I'll say it again and this time, open your bloody ears: whatever I do in the privacy of my own home has absolutely no bearing on how I lead this team. End of story."

"Maybe not at the moment…but how can you be so sure it wouldn't affect your judgement long-term?"

"I'm assuming you're implying that if someone had a gun to Grace's head I'd lose the plot."

"Wouldn't you?"

"Do you really think I'd cope well with that particular scenario if it was Spencer? Or even you, for that matter?"

"It would be compounded if it was Grace, though, wouldn't it? And I'm not even talking about that extreme an example."

"Well, go on, then; astound me."

"Alright; say you blindly follow Grace's input on a suspect and she turns out to be wildly off the mark…."

"She's never wildly off the mark…."

"…with the result being that a killer gets off or that another member of the team gets hurt. You simply can't afford to have lapses like that, Boyd, it…."

"…and even if she was in that particular instance, do you really believe I'm that fucking stupid as to not challenge her on a call I disagreed with?"

Sarah shrugged. "If she's leading you around by your dick…."

He studiously ignored her despite the anger flaring in his chest. "Grace and I have drawn blood with our arguments over the past ten years, Sarah…."

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning that we've never shied away from confrontation when our professional opinions have differed. I don't hesitate when I disagree with her and vice versa."

"That proves nothing."

"It blows your whole hypothetical scenario out of the water."

"Hardly. Just because you fight doesn't mean she's not capable of influencing you and your decisions."

"Anyone on this team is capable of influencing me, whether I'm sleeping with them or not. It's called drawing on the vast array of expertise at my disposal."

Sarah rubbed a hand across her eyes in irritation. "But keeping your personal feelings out of work-related discussions is…."

"Eminently possible."

"It's not, Boyd. The fact that you're having a relationship with someone who you work so closely with means that you can't help but have the lines blurred on occasion."

He gave a dismissive shake of his head. "You're making something out of nothing."

"The trouble is that if the occasion coincided with a make-or-break case, it could fracture this Unit beyond repair."

"But you're talking about an entirely speculative situation that might never even happen!"

"Or it might; and are you really willing to risk the integrity, the reputation, the very existence of this Unit for the sake of your own personal gratification…?"

"What exactly are you threatening me with?"

She shrugged. "It's not a threat…."

"But?"

"But don't misunderstand me, Boyd." Sarah leant forward, her eyes glittering fiercely. "One more evasive or defensive word from you and I won't hesitate to go to the DCC about this."

Boyd threw up his hand, noisily disturbing the papers on his desk. "Oh, do whatever the fuck you like…."

"I will. I have genuine concerns here and…."

"…but if you want to crawl up Maureen Smith's backside, do it on your own time and stop wasting mine."

She laughed humourlessly. "Are you kicking me out?"

"You're damn right I am. Get the fuck of my sight and don't come back until you have something meaningful to contribute to this team."

"Boyd…."

"I said get the fuck out."

Sarah stood abruptly and turned on her heel without a backward glance, ignoring Spencer Jordan's raised eyebrows as she stalked angrily from the bullpen, her heart hammering painfully against her ribcage, her feet moving of their own volition towards the building's exit.

Boyd released his breath into the suddenly empty office, the ball of fury burning acidly through his stomach dissipating into every fibre of his body as his mind incessantly replayed the words of his fellow Superintendent, the venom in her tone seeping through the layers of his consciousness and settling uncomfortably across his chest. Where the hell has all of this come from? He wondered with a frown. Is she really so fucking insecure about her position that she'll stop at nothing to jeopardise mine? Christ, she's a fucking snake in the grass. And if I'm not careful she'll constrict the life out of this Unit without even bloody trying.

TBC