My Girl

Disclaimer; New tricks and all it's characters belong to the BBC. There! Now that I've done the serious bit, can I play?

Author: I'm so sorry I havn't updated this story for a while, I wanted to get 'Those who love you most' finished first, because swapping between the two storylines was really messing with my head. Then I got pretty ill. Only just feeling well enough to string a sentence together, though I will apologise in advance for any wierd spelling or grammar, I'm still on medication! So, without further ado - time for the s! to hit the fan!

/

Sandra vaguely came aware of the insistant ringing of the mobile on her nightstand, she tried to bring herself to full wakefullness as she reached out in the dark of the bedroom to find it. Eventually, after it ringing off once, then starting up again, she found it, it took a few minutes of fumbling with the keypad to realise that it wasn't even her phone that was ringing. She elbowed the man next to her in the ribs.

"Gerry! Answer your phone!" She grumbled, checking the clock to see what ungodly hour it was.

"Nayetooerllee." Came the muffled reply, as he buried his face in the pillow. This was followed by an 'oooof' as she leaned on his back to reach across to his side of the bed to get his phone which was now on it's fourth ring. 'whoever wants us isn't giving up' she thought to herself. She frowned, growing slightly concerned when she saw Paula's name illuminated on the screen. The pressed the answer button.

"Hi Paula, is everything ok?" She watched as Gerry sat up and looked at her, the mention of one of his daughters bringing him awake. She listened as she got the abrieviated story of the night, holding up her hand as Gerry kept on trying to interupt.

"Ok love, look we'll be there as soon we can...Is he?...Ok, I understand...Don't worry, we'll see you soon." She hung up. Gerry looked at her intently.

"Well? Is everyone alright? Is it Gerry junior?..." He started to ask, she could hear the panic in his voice even though he was trying to hide it.

"Everyone is safe." She reassured him, laying her hand on his arm. "Caitlin was taken to hospital earlier...She mixed alcohol and her pain killers." She added as Gerry was about to interupt. "Jayne is there with her. Paula is with her too."

"Oh, bloody hell!" Gerry leaped out of bed and started to pull his clothes on. Sandra dressed as well and they were soon in her car headed toward the hospital. As she drove she glanced at the man sat beside her. She took a deep breath.

"Gerry, there's something you need to know before we get to the hospital." Sandra said after they had been travelling for a while, she tried to sound relaxed, even though she felt about as chilled as a penguin in the sahara. He looked at her, worry written all over his face.

"What is it, is Caitlin...?" He couldn't ask the question, his voice faltered. Sandra grabbed his hand.

"No...no, Paula seemed sure she would be alright."

"Then what is it? So long as everybody is alright, that's all that matters."

"I would love it if you could keep that thought in your head." Sandra smiled. He looked at her confused. She sighed. "Paula isn't on her own at the hospital."

"I know, you told me earlier, Jayne is there too."

"No, I mean there is somebody else there with them." She paused, "Paula's boyfriend."

"Boyfriend! What boyfriend?" Sandra winced slightly as Gerry's volume went up. "How long has she had a bloke?"

"About three months." Sandra whispered.

"Three months! How come I didn't know about this. Who else knows?"

"Gerry, please. That's what she wanted to talk to me about this morning. She wanted to tell all of you, but she wasn't sure how you would take it." She paused, "She just needed to tell someone, she thought I would be the most likely to understand."

"Why? She knows I'll always listen to her."

"I'm not so sure this time." Sandra muttered. as they pulled into the hospital car park.

/

Paula sat in the waiting room, her head resting on Rob's shoulder. She was trying to make the most of these few moments before her Dad arrived, Rob had his arm around her shouder and was gently rubbing her arm, he turned his face toward her and gave her a light kiss on the forehead.

"This isn't what I had in mind, I had thought about maybe having a barbeque or something, invite the family, introduce you to them properly." She whispered. She felt his chest move as he let out a soft laugh.

"look on the bright side, at least we're in the hospital, so if your Father does decide to do me physical harm, there are doctors on hand." He joked. She smiled at him before giving him a gentle kiss on the lips. Just then, they heard the familiar voice at the reception desk behind them. Paula took a deep breath and stood, turning to face the owner of the voice, she walked up to him.

"Hi Dad." She smiled at him, he turned and noticed her standing beside him. He reached out and captured her in a bear hug which she returned. Sandra stood off to the side, she could see the dark hair of her boss, still seated with his back to them. She could tell he was tense by the way he was sat, and the tension in his shoulders. He seemed to make a decision and stood, turning to face them. Gerry hadn't noticed him yet, he was still pre-occupied with listening to his oldest daughter filling him in on the condition of his youngest. Sandra gave him a small smile and a nod of re-assurance.

Gerry listened to his angel as she filled him in on the evening, he caught sight of a vaguely familiar face in the corner of his eye, he turned and was taken by surprise by the appearance of his boss.

"Hello sir, fancy meeting you here." He said, trying to be as pleasant as possible. Cait wanted to join the force, no point letting on about her being brought in with alcohol related problems. He watched as the three others looked at each other, and a feeling of dread invaded his stomach. It didn't stay there long. As Paula went and stood beside Strickland and slipped her hand into his, he felt the dread turn to anger, it started to bubble up to the surface, developing into cold fury.

"Please tell me this is some kind of a joke. That you're having me on." He snarled through gritted teeth. Paula flinched, she had never seen her father so angry, at least not at her. Rob squeezed her hand gently. She looked up into his face and saw the love he had for her in his eyes, she steeled herself.

"No joking tonight Dad. This isn't how I had envisioned telling you, but... I love him." The last part came out as a plea, making Sandra want to leap forward and wrap her arms around her 'step-daughter', but seeing as she would have to throw her arms around Robert as well, she couldn't see how that would help right now. She reached forward, rubbing her loves arm, succeeding in getting his attention. He looked at her, she had seen him angry before, and right now he was aiming all that venom towards the man in front of them. She did her best to diffuse some of that anger.

"Please love, this isn't the time or the place." She pleaded with him. She could see the cold hatred burning in his eyes, as he fixed them back on the man standing with his daughter.

"I can tell you right now, there will never be a good time." He told her, he marched up to the younger man, standing almost toe to toe with him, and despite being a head taller, it was Strickland who took a step back. "So what is this, some kind of payback? Screw my little girl so you can get the last laugh on me?" He hissed, Paula looked as though she had been slapped, tears had started to fall down her face. But it was the change in the younger man which was most alarming, his whole demeanour changed, from being slightly submissive, his chin came up and a look of thunder swept across his features. Sandra was becoming increasingly desperate to stop both men before one of them did something they would all come to regret.

"Don't ever accuse me of something like that again." Robert hissed, "I have fallen madly in love with this amazing woman, and that she happens to be your daughter is besides the point. She has caught me, hook, line and sinker. And even if I wanted to, I can't stop loving her, and believe me I did try." The stoney silence which followed was as oppressive as a humid summer day, Sandra was trying to think of something to say to break the quiet, when the sound of a curtain and footsteps did the job for her.

"Gerry?" The sound of his ex-wife brought him out of his fury. he blinked and turned to her. "She's awake, and she want's her Dad. She always was a Daddy's girl." He let out a breath and nodded. As he turned towards the cubicle, Sandra grabbed his arm, she kissed him gently on the cheek and whispered in his ear.

"One thing at a time. I'll wait here while you go and make sure Cait's ok." He smiled at her, a desperate attempt to show her he wasn't angry at her. He dissappeared into the cubicle. Jayne turned to follow him, but as she turned, she mouthed 'I'll have a word' at Sandra, who smiled her thanks at the other woman. She turned back to the couple. Robert had enveloped Paula in his arms, rubbing her back, whispering comfort into her ear as she sobbed into his chest. Sandra wrapped her arms around herself, trying to give herself the hug she really felt in need of. She looked up at the ceiling, looking for some kind of devine guidance.

"That went well." She told nobody in particular.