Here we go again, another nice new chapter for you. Thank you x1000000000 to my fab reviewers: Hollie, Aileen, Krissie, Jo, Meg and littlebit100. Enjoy!

Over the next two weeks, CID and uniform did everything they could to get a conviction for Beth. But, as Beth had predicted, Leon gave the two men an alibi, claiming that they had been with him all night. Beth had to admit they were good. A hearing had been arranged for the 31st August, and Beth was determined to go, to hopefully see them send down for a long time. A week before the trail, Beth had just woken up. She rolled over and smiled as she saw Max's sleeping face. Even now, she couldn't believe how lucky she was waking up with him next to her every day. She really didn't care about the age difference, it was just Max who was bothered about it.

"Stop staring at me." Max said suddenly, making Beth jump. She giggled, biting her lip.

"I'm not." Beth said, "How did you know I was if you're eyes were shut?"

"I'm a detective remember." Max replied sleepily.

"As if that explains it." Beth said, pushing herself up so she was leaning against her pillows.

"Well of course it does. I'm a detective because I'm good at detecting, obviously, and thinking out the box." Max said, propping himself up on one elbow.

"I'll say...some of the things we've done are pretty outside of the box." Beth said with a knowing smile.

Max flipped onto his back, looking up at her in her silky nightgown. "I thought we agreed not to mention those things again?" Max asked in a sharp voice, but he gave himself away with the small smile that was playing around his mouth. Beth slid down the bed until her face was level with his.

"I know, but I can't help it." she kissed him gently on the lips. Max wrapped his arms round her, just laying there holding her for a few minutes.

"What's for breakfast?" he asked her.

"I don't know, you do breakfast." Beth said looking at him.

"Well that was when you first came out of hospital." Max replied simply.

"Oh so now that I'm better I have to cook? How sexist!" Beth protested, wriggling free from Max's arm.

"What can I say, I'm old-fashioned." he said with a smile.

Beth just huffed at him, got out of bed and slipped her dressing gown on. "I want to come in with you today. I want to see the Inspector and see if I can come back to work."

Max raised his eyebrows, "Really? You think you're ready for that?"

Beth smiled fondly at him, he was so overprotective, "Max, stop wrapping me up in cotton wool. I'm ok now."

Max looked sceptical, but then shrugged, "Fine, if you're sure. I'll only drive you in though if you cook me breakfast."

"Ah, bargaining now are we?" Beth said before pausing, "Well, seeing as I can't be bothered to walk, you're in luck."

It's not so easy loving me
It gets so complicated
All the things you gotta be
Everything's changing
But you're the truth
I'm amazed by all your patience
Everything I put you through

An hour later, Max and Beth arrived at the station. Beth walked in first, as Max still was iffy about people knowing about them. So he dropped her off at the corner then he drove in and parked up.

"But Max, we live opposite each other technically, can't you just say that you're dropping me off?" Beth had asked before she got out the car.

Max looked at her and then said, "Yeah, that's a good reason actually."

Beth rolled her eyes, "So much for you being a good detective!"

She made her way through the station, greeting everyone and thanking them for the various cards and flowers they had sent her at the hospital and at home. She walked down the corridor until she was outside the Inspector's office. She knocked twice and was beckoned in.

"Beth! What are you doing here?" the Inspector asked in surprise, unexpectedly hugging the young PC.

"Working hopefully." Beth said with a smile as she sat down opposite Gina's desk.

"Working?" Gina questioned.

"Ma'am, I'm bored out of my head being at home, I'd rather be here working and getting back to normal." Beth said, pleading.

"Are you sure you're ready for that?" Gina asked her.

"That's exactly what Ma...I mean DS Carter said. But yes ma'am, I feel ready. Please let me come back?" Beth begged.

Gina thought about it for a while, before saying, "Yes alright. We're a bit short staffed, even with the new PC."

Beth was shocked, "What new PC?"

"Her name is PC Keane. She's a probationer, she's a year or two older than you." Gina said.

"Wow, I miss everything! Right, I'll go and get my uniform on. Shall I go see one of the sergeants for something to do?" Beth asked standing up.

"Yes please. Sergeant Smith should be in his office." Gina said and Beth nodded as she walked out the office. She headed down the corridor to the female changing room.

When I'm about to fall
Somehow you're always waiting with
Your open arms to catch me
You're gonna save me from myself
From myself, yes
You're gonna save me from myself

"Beth? What are you doing here?" someone said as soon as she walked through the door.

"Working, like you, what else?" Beth said with a laugh as both Jess and Sally came and hugged her. She noticed another women getting changed who she had never seen before.

"So are you back full time now?" Jess asked, stepping back to pull her boots on.

"Yep, I've got to go see Smithy once I'm changed, see what he wants me to do." Beth said, starting to undress.

"Oh, Emma, this is Beth Green, she was the one involved in the undercover operation." Sally said, introducing the two women.

"Hi, nice to meet you." Beth said, smiling at Emma.

"And you." Emma said.

"God we have so much to talk to you about!" Jess said. Beth pulled a face as she noticed the significant look exchanged between Sally and Jess.

"Well why don't we go out for lunch and we can talk. Emma, do you want to come?" Beth asked the new officer.

Emma looked up, smiling to have been addressed and invited out, "Yeah sure, if you don't mind that is."

"No of course we don't." Jess said with a smile. "Right I better get going, I'm on patrol with my lovely husband. I'll see you all later."

"Who is she married to?" Emma asked curiously.

"Sergeant Stone, did you meet him? He's a bit moody looking but he's lovely underneath it all." Sally said with a laugh.

"Oh right. Ah that would make sense, seeing as she is PC Stone." Emma replied.

"Yeah, they've been married nearly two years now. Right are you ready Emma? We're on patrol as well, so catch you later Beth." Sally said, giving her another quick hug before she left with Emma, who smiled.

"Bye!" she called after them, and then made her own way out the changing room and down the hall to Smithy's office.

My love is tainted by your touch
Well some guys have shown me aces
But you've got that royal flush
I know it's crazy everyday
Well tomorrow may be shaky
But you never turn away

At lunch Beth met the girls at a cafe which was often frequented by the Sun Hill coppers. Jess was the first one there, and she waved as Beth came in.

"Hi, I ordered coffee's all round, that alright?" Jess asked as Beth sat next to her.

"Yeah that's fine. Smithy put me on paperwork all morning." Beth said with a sigh.

"Really? Well they probably want to ease you back into work. That's what they did with me when I was pregnant, I bloody hated it though." Jess said, remembering how bored she would get.

"I guess so. But I wish people would just accept that I'm fine now and they don't need to treat me like I'm breakable!" Beth said in a more angry voice than she felt. Jess' brow furrowed.

"Beth you had a real serious beating. We all thought you were going to die, so be easy on them ok?" Jess said softly.

Beth sighed and she smiled, "Yeah, sorry."

"That's alright. Now can we order? I'm starving!" Jess said, plucking the menu from it's holder.

"Shouldn't we wait for Sally and Emma?" Beth asked.

"Nah, Sally said to go ahead, they'll be here in a minute." Jess said, handing the menu to Beth.

"So what do you think of the new PC? When did she start?" Beth asked.

"Um, she started a few days ago. So far she seems really nice. A bit stuck up sometimes, but I'm sure we can bash that out of her." Jess said, looking up as Sally and Emma walked in.

"Speak of the devil." Beth said with a laugh.

"Alright. Have you ordered?" Sally said, sitting down opposite Jess, while Emma took the seat opposite Beth.

"Just about to. Good morning?" Beth asked them.

"Yeah, arrested some youth's for indecent exposure, that was nice." Emma said with a disgusted look on her face. Beth and Jess both wrinkled their noses.

"Nice, lucky you." Jess said.

"So, Beth, the reason we asked you for lunch, we have questions." Sally said, smiling at Beth.

"Ok, what questions?" Beth asked warily.

"You and Max." Jess said simply.

Beth's guard immediately came up, "What about it?"

"Well are you seeing each other?" Sally asked impatiently.

Beth made a face, "He'll kill me if I tell you!"

"But we're your best friends! We tell you everything!" Jess moaned.

"I told him that, but he wouldn't budge. He said that people might think we're together cause I want a promotion, or they might be grossed out by the age difference." Beth said, her head in her hands.

"Surely people would have said that about you and Callum when you first got together?" Sally asked Jess.

"Yeah exactly, but once they got over it, it was fine. And there's 5 years between us two." Jess said.

"There's more than that between me and Max though." Beth said.

"If you like him and he likes you, then who cares what everyone else thinks." Emma said, making all three women look around at her. "Oh sorry, was I not meant to be listening."

"No, no, of course. I said this to him as well, but he won't listen." Beth said sadly.

"Well make him listen! Relationships are supposed to be equal you know, no matter what his rank is over you." Emma said simply.

"I like you already." Beth said with a laugh.

Don't ask me why I'm crying
'Cause when I start to crumble
You know how to keep me smiling
You always save me from myself
From myself, myself
You're gonna save me from myself

A week later, Beth and Max had finally agreed that if people found out about them at work, they wouldn't deny it. Beth had told him that Jess, Sally and Emma knew, and even though he threw a bit of a fit for five minutes, Beth finally calmed him down enough, although later Max accused her of seducing him. And then it was the day of the trial, the day that hopefully Charlie and Michael would be sent to jail for a long time. Beth dressed in a simple grey dress and put on some black heels. She tied her hair up, trying to look as professional as possible. She put minimal make up on, and then she was done. She came out the bathroom and was startled when she nearly walked into Max who was leaning against the wall in the hall.

"What were you doing in there?" he asked her.

"Beautifying myself." Beth replied, walking into her room to grab a light jacket and her bag.

"You already look beautiful." Max said, kissing her.

Beth blushed. She was still not used to him paying her compliments. "Thank you, but I needed to do it for confidence as well. Do I look professional enough?"

"Yes you do, perfect. And you can still see the faint bruise marks on your arm as well which the jury will hopefully see." Max said, trying to be helpful.

"Oh brilliant, why don't I show them all the bruises on my ribs as well, and the back of my head where I have a bald patch from having to have surgery." Beth said, exasperated.

"Beth, the bald patch isn't even noticeable anymore! The rest of your hair covers it and it's growing back anyway." Max said.

"See if I had said that to Sally or Jess, they would have said, "Oh but Beth, you aren't bald, don't be silly."" Beth said pointedly.

"Sorry. Now come on, stop being all stressed. They will get sent down, we've got more than enough evidence." Max said, sitting Beth down on the edge of the bed.

"I don't know Max, I have a bad feeling that they'll be let out." Beth said, pushing her fringe back.

"They won't. Now, let's go, we'll be late otherwise." Max led Beth down the stairs and out the door, into the car and to the Courthouse.

I know it's hard, it's hard
But you've broken all my walls
You've been my strength, so strong
And don't ask me why I love you

Three hours later, Beth was stood outside the Courthouse encased in Max's arms.

"It's ok, I won't let them touch you again." Max murmured into her ear.

"Max, they know where I live, what if they try and off me again?" she asked, her tear streaked face breaking his heart.

"Beth, I swear, they won't get to you. We can move if you want." Max said softly.

Beth's sobs just got louder, and she pressed her face into his chest. He stroked her hair, knowing that nothing he said at this minute would help her in anyway. He just couldn't believe that the judge had let them off. What an asshole! Apparently the masses of evidence everyone had worked hard to collect wasn't enough, and Leon's statement which provided Michael and Charlie with alibis was taken over a police officers. It made Max sick that they were free to try and kill someone again without so much as a slapped wrist.

"Come on, let's get you home." Max said gently, leading Beth to the car. He was just about to get in when he was stopped by the DI.

"Max!" he shouted.

"Yes gov?" Max asked.

"How is she doing?" Neil asked.

"What do you think?" Max replied, a bit more harsher than he had meant.

"Of course. Just take care of her." Neil said, with a small smile as he walked back to where the Inspector was stood.

It's obvious your tenderness
Is what I need to make me
A better woman to myself
To myself, myself
You're gonna save me from myself

When they got in the house Beth immediately started checking that all the windows and doors were locked. She shut all the curtains, and walked to where she kept all her alcohol.

"Beth what are you doing?" Max asked, watching as she grabbed a bottle of vodka and poured it into a large glass.

"Forgetting." she replied quietly.

"That won't make you forget in the long run, you know that!" Max said, not liking this change of character.

"I don't care, I just want to forget for now." Beth said, finishing her first glass of vodka and pouring another.

Max attempted to take the bottle away from her, but she pushed him away. "Come on Beth, don't do this."

"Max, are you forgetting that there are three men out there who want me dead for snitching on them? Cause I can't forget that. I'm going to put the house for sale, I'm moving." she said coldly, and Max noted that she said I and not we.

"Why don't you move in with me, into my house." Max suggested.

Beth looked up, her big blue eyes ringed with red from all her crying. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, I can give the flat back, and you can use the money from the sale of the house for whatever." Max said, hoping that he was finally getting through to you. It took a few minutes, but Beth finally nodded.

"Yes please." she said quietly.

"Come here." he said, pulling her to him, just holding her while she cried.

Song- Christina Aquilera: Save Me From Myself