This is the final chapter, thought I'd put it up before tonight, which incidentally I won't see until tomorrow again *sigh*, sure it'll be worth waiting for!

"Rachel."

She sat up in bed, then groaned and collapsed against the pillows, her eyes wide and pained, "Jesus."

"Well, you haven't lost the knack of blaspheming then?" Kevin smirked, but he reached out and helped her sit up properly.

She smiled her thanks, because she felt too weak to say anything more for a long moment, and instead reached for his hand. He pushed his chair right up to the side of the bed and wrapped his arm around her, and let her sob into his shoulder.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Nothing. I just got pissed, and I fell. I hit my head. It was my own fault," she sniffed, wiping her nose on the corner of her hospital gown, like a child might, "I'm never going to drink again."

"Yeah, right. I'll believe that when I see it."

She managed a half-smile again, "Arse."

"Janet and Gill are downstairs getting coffee. They've been waiting for you to wake up for hours; we all have," he said softly, "I'm really glad you're okay, Rachel."

"You call this okay?"

"I thought... I thought you were dead or something."

Rachel coughed, "Cheers, Kevin."

"No, I'm serious."

They looked at each other for a long moment, and then he leaned forwards and kissed her on the lips, just briefly, trying it. She frowned, then shuffled along and kissed him back, letting him hold her, stroke her hair. She ignored the pain in her side, and in her head. She focused on his soft eyes and warm hands.

"No, we shouldn't do this. You're ill, I'm taking advantage, you wouldn't want..." he pulled away.

"I do want this," she pulled him back and kissed him again.

When they'd finished, he climbed onto the bed, and she cried again, because she didn't really know what she wanted at all. She just wanted friends, and family, and colleagues, who'd all support her, and she wanted a loving relationship with someone she could trust, and she wanted a dog. She'd always wanted a dog.

"It's okay," he whispered.

"Kevin!" Gill screeched from the doorway.

He slid from the bed guiltily and tried to leave the room, but Rachel clung on to his hand. He sat down beside her.

"Rachel," Janet came in behind her boss, and crouched down beside the bed, her hair still damp from the falling rain outside, her eyes equally wet from the tears lingering on her face, "I'm so sorry."

"Me too," Gill said.

"Me too," Kevin nodded. Then he laughed, and Rachel laughed too, because it seemed like the right thing to do.

"How are you?" Janet asked.

"I feel like shit," she pulled up her top and showed Kevin her stomach, only this time the scars had split and had to be re-stitched, and dried blood stained her skin.

This time, Gill didn't wish she had that stomach, that enviably flat chest. This time, she wanted to cry for Rachel. "You missed the exciting show-down. The Amanda Bowes case?"

"Just my luck."

"Well, not really. It wasn't a lot of fun. Pretty boring, actually. We went in there, all guns blazing – Kevin even wore a stab vest, which he was very proud of – and..."

"Hey!" Kevin argued.

"And he was just sitting at his desk, and we all went in there, and the headteacher just looked at him. He got down on his knees and held out his hands for the handcuffs, and he just admitted it."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Janet took over, "Straight away. Didn't look remorseful or anything, just admitted the rape of all these little innocent girls, actually looked Gill in the eye. It was horrible."

"Amanda was right? We doubted her, didn't we?"

"No," Gill said softly, "She doubted herself."

"Which a lot of us do, sometimes," someone said from the doorway.

Rachel and Janet both turned to look, and found that Adrian and Andy had both stepped inside the room. Together. Not arguing, just standing beside each other. Rachel pulled down her gown, self-conscious, but both men were watching Janet.

"Ade," she said.

"You okay?" he asked gruffly.

She stood up and walked over to him, and they kissed. Then she looked at Andy too, and she kissed his cheek, and he grinned.

"Rachel!" Taisie squealed, pushing past her dad and running over to hug her mum's friend, "Are you okay?"

"Yes, thanks, kidda. Oh, I've missed you."

"I've missed you too. Can we go to McDonalds tonight?"

"I'm not sure Rach..." Janet began.

"Of course we can, Tais. Where's your sister?"

"Here." Elise hovered behind her dad too, looking uncomfortable, fiddling with her hair. After a moment, she looked at her mum, "I'm sorry, Mum. I didn't mean it. I was just scared. I'm sorry."

"Hey, it's okay, darling," Janet hugged her, "I understand. I'm really sorry for hurting you. But it's going to be okay now, yeah? We'll go home, and we'll talk about it."

"Family reunions," Gill tapped her foot.

Rachel looked up at her, and she saw that her boss had tears in her eyes. She remembered what Janet had told her about Dave Murray, how this must really hurt Gill to see everyone else getting along really well, when she was on her own.

"I'm fine," Gill said impatiently, meeting Rachel's gaze.

Janet took a step back, and wrapped her arm around Gill too. They hugged briefly – the best you got from Gill – and even Andy and Adrian shook hands, very formal.

Kevin raised his eyebrows at Gill, "You can come to McDonalds too, if you want, boss?"

"Hey, it's my McDonald's party. And Taisie gets to decide who's coming," Rachel sighed mockingly, "Don't go taking over, Kevin."

"Godzilla can come," Taisie nodded.

"Taisie!" Adrian and Janet yelled together.

"Was that one of those... those things you're supposed to keep between the four walls of the house?"

"Yes."

"Oops. Sorry. No offence."

Gill raised her eyebrows, "None taken."

Kevin and Rachel kissed then, and Adrian and Janet. The girls skipped off to steal some chocolates from the box in the waiting room, and Andy walked round to stand next to Gill. He saw her looking at him.

"Alright, Andy?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah," he agreed, "Are you?"

Gill nodded, and looked around the room. Couples, kissing. Andy must feel the same as she did, neglected and left out. Still, he must be glad, to see Janet happy. Good things came to good people, in time. He'd be happy too, one day.

He was looking at her now, with a humoured gleam in his eye, "You don't mind if we don't kiss, do you, Ma'am?"

XxXxX

That's the end, then. I didn't own any of the characters or anything else from Scott&Bailey. Except my love for it.

Thanks to MadMaudlinOfBedlam for the encouragement all the way through, and to ScottAndBailey4eva too, and to everyone else who read, reviewed, alerted and favourited. I love you all!

Please review and tell me what you thought... or give me any new ideas for the next story :3 xx