Just an epilogue after this :)
Jackie instinctively took a step backwards and managed a small if somewhat nervous smile. "Had a bit of a row with my husband, wanted some fresh air and got a bit lost." She nodded towards the clothing on the floor, knowing she had to make some reference to the obvious pile. "Injured horse?"
His eyes flickered. "Yeah," he mumbled.
She nodded. "Well it looks like your busy, so I'll get going."
Going to walk past him, she thought she'd almost got away when his hand wrapped tightly around his arm and yanked her backwards, she stumbled slightly as he pulled her to face him again. "I think we both know that I can't just let you walk away from here."
Jackie swallowed heavily, she could see that he was dangerous and that her best and safest option would be to get the hell away from him. She knew that he was on the verge of destroying evidence but she'd learned a long time ago that no one thanked you for being a martyr. "What do you mean?" she tried to bluff out.
"I know that you've been asking questions about that murder, know that the minute I let you go you'll run blabbing." His grip on her arm tightened, his face pale and features taut with stress. "I can't let you do that, I just can't."
"Don't do this," Jackie replied with a calmness she certainly didn't feel. "It'll only make things worse."
He gave a dry, bitter laugh. "Things can't get much worse, they've just arrested my sister and she's already…" he tailed off on an annoyed huff of breath. "But it doesn't matter because they won't find any evidence connecting her to the crime and they'll let her go. Then without him around she can get better."
Jackie looked around the barn as she tried to figure the best move to make next, taking his words in at the same time. He was rambling and probably didn't even expect her to take in most of what he was saying; but she did.
Alistair continued talking, "The only thing that connects me to that crime is that clothing and in a few minutes that won't be here anymore. So I only have one more problem, and that's what to do with you." His eyes landed on her face again, dark, the remorse in them now all but gone as he told her, "You should have stayed in the bar."
He stepped closer to her and Jackie yanked the arm he was holding onto down with a great deal of force as she brought the heel of her hand up to his face, smashing it into his nose. Letting out a scream of pain, he instantly let go of her arm, his hands flying up to his face, feeling the blood that was now trickling down.
Jackie made a run for it, her fingers fumbling with the catch on the stable door that he'd obviously shut over as he'd walked in. She almost had it open when his bloodied hand slammed against the door, closing it before he quickly turned her round. "You shouldn't have done that," he hissed.
Robbie dug his hands deeper into his pockets as he walked along the path, feeling the wind rustling through his hair as he glanced around trying to decide where Jackie would have walked off to. With both Mike and Stuart on their way back to pick up Alistair she needed to be updated, not only that he didn't feel that comfortable with the idea of her wandering around when a murderer who was probably on edge by now was in the same vicinity.
Coming to a fork in the path he hesitated, one led down to the stables while the other would take you along to the coast. He didn't think that Jackie would go anywhere near the stables willingly so the obvious choice would be to head down to the beach. But for some strange reason he stood still, something nagging away at him insistently.
He'd thrown her to the floor before she had the chance to react, his hands around her throat, squeezing tightly. Jackie tried to push his hands away, her nails scratched across his face and she brought her knee up into his groin. He gave a grunt of pain but he was too determined to pull away, adrenaline keeping him going.
Her vision had began to darken and blur around the edges when suddenly the pressure around her throat disappeared, Alistair falling to one side. Jackie rolled to her side before scrabbling to her feet, her hand pressed lightly to her throat as she drew in a few deep breaths.
She jumped slightly when she felt hands on her shoulders, instantly relaxing when she heard Robbie's concerned voice ask, "You ok?"
Nodding, Jackie whirled round to look at him, noting in some confusion that Alistair McCourt was on the floor, cuffed and wriggling face down. His shouts of anger slightly muffled. "You had your handcuffs with you?" she asked dazedly.
"Just in case," he replied, his eyes still scanning her face. His fingers came up to trace lightly over the red marks that were already evident on her throat. "Good thing too. Mike and Stuart are on their way, should be here in a few minutes. I'll call them just now, just let them know what's happened."
"Sure. Do you mind if I wait outside though?" She asked, "need some air."
"Yeah, go ahead," he told her, thumb stroking gently across her cheek before he let his hands fall to one side, letting her slip away.
"How are you?" Michael asked her as Stuart pushed Alistair into the back of the police car. Robbie surveying the scene from a distance, meeting Jackie's gaze for a moment before Michael had approached her, and in that second she'd thought he was about to head over to see her. But as had been the norm over the last few days, Michael's timing had been poor to say the least.
"I'm fine," Jackie replied, dragging her eyes away from Robbie's. "A bit battered and bruised," she admitted after catching his doubtful look. "But I'm ok, honest."
"Good. So you'll be glad to know it looks like this case is wrapped up." He smiled at her warmly. "Which means you don't need to suffer the countryside anymore, or Robbie for that matter."
Jackie managed a small chuckle although she felt anything but amused. "It wasn't really as bad as I thought it was going to be," she told him quietly.
He arched an eyebrow at her, looking doubtful as he murmured unconvinced, "If you say so." His face cleared slightly before he added, "Anyway don't suppose it matters either way now, Stuart's going to accompany uniform and take Alistair back to the station and I'm taking Heather to go and talk to Mr and Mrs McCourt, they seem pretty shaken. While I do that you and Robbie can go pack, be quick about it though, we need to get back."
Robbie walked into the bedroom he'd shared with Jackie for the last few nights, he wished that they could stay in the world that they'd built together over the last week or so, but he was realistic enough to know that the real world was out there waiting for them. She was already there, her back to him as she packed up her stuff, folding it neatly into her suitcase, the only sign that anything had went awry over the last few hours were the slight bruises to her throat.
Moving so he was standing directly behind her, he slipped his arms around her waist, and this time she didn't jump, having heard him walk into the room. For a moment though she hesitated before letting her hand rest over his and leaning back against his chest. "I'm so glad you're ok," he told her, his mouth pressing against her temple.
Jackie smiled softly at the caress. "And I have you to thank for that, although I have to admit I never did picture you as the white knight."
"I have hidden depths," he replied, laughing.
"Obviously." Her smile faded as quickly as it had appeared, remembering the way he'd been just before all this had happened, the way he'd insisted they had to talk. Well it looked as though now was going to have to be that time. No point in delaying the inevitable after all. She gently pushed his hands away and stepped out of his embrace, turning to face him as she asked, "So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"
He stepped closer to her, slightly put out by the way she'd distanced herself from him. "I told you," he replied easily. "I want to talk about us, about what happens next."
"Right," she nodded, her throat dry. "So…" she prompted him to continue, wanted to hear the words from his mouth first, didn't want to make him feel as though she were forcing his hand in any way shape or form.
"Well you said you didn't want to tell Mike about us yet so I was just wondering what…I mean where," he hesitated, rubbing his hand through his already dishevelled hair as he fought to find the right words and started again, "Where that leaves us, are we dating? Seeing how it goes?"
Jackie frowned at him. This she hadn't expected, his uncertainty in his eyes and the hint of vulnerability in his voice. She'd simply expected him to say he'd had fun but that they wanted different things, she wanted commitment while he simply wanted to shag around. Looking at him, she asked quietly, "What do you want?"
He stepped forward again, his hand lifting so that he could tuck a strand of her hair behind one ear. "I want you," he admitted. "I want us to be together properly." He shot her a curious look. "I told you this before."
"I thought that was the orgasms talking," she admitted wryly.
Robbie couldn't help but grin. "It wasn't just that," he told her. "Just the past few days here have made me realise that we fit, we work and I've never had that before, not even when I was married. I don't want this to end but things are gonna change, so what are we going to do?"
"Well," she smiled. "Dating sounds like fun, you can wine and dine me."
"Can I now?" he replied, although a smile tugged at his features.
"Well you did suggest it, so you don't get to wriggle out of it."
His arms were around her waist now as he told her sincerely, "I don't want to."
"So you had officers undercover here the whole time?" Mrs McCourt asked, her voice as hard as steel, her lips drawn into a thin pursed line.
"We did," Michael confirmed, meeting Heather's concerned gaze over the top of the older couples heads. They were as cold as ice and seemingly unfazed by the news their son was a murderer.
The woman's mouth twisted into a bitter smile. "And didn't the pair you pick play their part well, very convincing they were" she commented.
Michael frowned. "I'm afraid I don't quite see your point here."
She laughed, a dry, almost brittle sound. "I'm simply commenting on how hands on they were with their role."
Michael's cheeks flushed with annoyance, while the rest of his face paled slightly. "I'm sure," he got out tersely, "that DI Ross and DS Reid acted professionally throughout their stay here."
"Think what you like," she snapped back, "It doesn't change the truth."
"I'm sure she was exaggerating," Heather tried to tell Michael her tone placating.
He gave a short sharp nod. "I'm sure you're right, either way though I want to get off this godforsaken island and get the hell out of here." As they approached the door to Jackie and Robbie's room, Michael raised his hand to knock and then lowered it again, staring at the key in hid hand. The key that Mrs McCourt had pressed into his hand.
"Don't pander to her…Sir," Heather requested, her eyes wide.
"If nothing is going on then there isn't an issue here, PC McIntyre," he bit back.
She stepped back, letting out a deep breath of annoyance, confident that she was going to be proved right. The door opened and Heather let out a sharp gasp of surprise at the sight that they were confronted with, while Michael growled under his breath.
The pair that they were staring at in shock however had yet to notice their presence. Jackie was on the dressing table, Robbie standing between her legs which were wrapped around his waist. Her shirt was off, one bra strap beginning to slip down her arm, Robbie's hands in her hair, their mouths all but locked together, her hands roaming over his back.
"What the hell do you think you're playing at!" Michael barked furiously, and Heather wanted to crawl under a bed in embarrassment for them both. They sprang apart, both turning to look at him, Jackie's face slightly horrified and flushed with what Michael prayed to God was embarrassment while Robbie's was slightly surprised but somehow he remained looking defiant.
"Never heard of knocking?" he drawled, stepping in front of Jackie so that she could haul her top back on.
Michael's chest puffed out in annoyance. "I want an explanation, and I want it now."
Jackie slipped off the dressing table and stepped round Robbie, the two men were clearly squaring up to each other, Michael acting like an older, protective brother and Robbie just being Robbie. She looked up at Michael, telling him firmly but calmly, "We're in a relationship."
He went puce. "A relationship?" He gave a strange choked laugh as he repeated, "A relationship? You and him! Maryhill's serial shagger!"
Jackie caught Robbie's arm as he surged forward, stepping in front of him, blocking his way. "It's not going to affect work so it won't be an issue."
"It already has! You two were sent here to investigate a murder, not have a dirty weekend! I'm not surprised that Robbie tried it on but I thought better of you," he snarled at Jackie.
She paled. "What do you mean by that?"
"You know what I mean, you've always had pretty shit taste in men and I thought you'd topped the bar with Greg bloody Martin but looks like you've somehow managed to scrape the bottom of the barrel yet again!"
Both Heather and Robbie stared in shock at Michael after his vicious outburst, slightly disbelieving over the fact that he'd actually said those words. They'd never seen the pair exchange an angry word before, they'd always been so close. Jackie's face whitened, and Robbie wasn't sure that he'd ever seen her look so stunned, so hurt, he wanted to throttle Michael just for that. She didn't say a word though, simply stormed past them, out the door and down the corridor.
Michael looked between the two people who remained in the room with him, "Don't say a word," he warned the pair of them.
Robbie's nose wrinkled in disgust, he was tempted to punch Mike, but he didn't, simply shook his head and walked past him, going after Jackie.
He found her pacing the garden, her face still pale and her hands shaking, as he approached her she looked up, telling him disbelievingly, "I can't believe he said that."
Robbie didn't speak, he wasn't too interested in who this guy was, could hardly judge someone else on their romantic history, he just wanted to make sure that she was ok. He wrapped his arm around her. "He's just angry, don't think he thought through what he said."
"He's got a bloody cheek you know," she informed him, her cheeks still flushed with anger. "Some of the women he's dated! And as for the fact we work together we all know he's got a thing for Heather and she's a bloody PC! He couldn't get anymore inappropriate."
Robbie simply nodded, letting her get out all her anger and rage as he held her. After a few minutes of silence he picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. "We'll just need to prove him wrong then, won't we?" he told her.
She smiled at him, her hand cupping his face as she looked into his hopeful eyes and cheeky grin. "I guess we will," she replied.
Michael approached her by the car. "I shouldn't have said-"
"Forget it," Jackie replied, interrupting him.
"I'm sorry about what I said, but I don't think you've thought this through."
She threw the last of her bags into the boot with a thud and turned to face him. "For once I don't care what you think, Robbie and I are going to continue seeing each other regardless of what you say."
"You work together."
"That's not stopped you from chasing PC McIntyre," she remarked coldly. "And lets face it Michael the DCI dating the PC looks a lot worse. So don't you dare clamour onto your high horse with me."
With that she slammed the boot shut and stormed round to the front of the car. Already she slightly regretted her harsh words but for once she'd been unable to contain her anger.
Michael stared after her, slightly surprised by her words as he mulled them over. Suddenly there was a small cough from behind him, and he turned to see Heather standing smiling at him nervously. "I was thinking," she told him quietly, "That if you were still up for it we could go for a drink when we get back."
"I don't know if that's a good idea," Michael answered, hating the flicker of hurt that crossed her face but deciding in the long run it was for the best.
"Oh, ok then," she answered trying to hide the fact that she was feeling severely put out. "Guess I'll just ask another friend then," she told him casually before walking away.
Michael watched her go and only just resisted the urge to call her back, looking over to where Robbie and Jackie were standing laughing together. They looked happy now, but he was sure that it couldn't last. He sighed, ah well , cross that bridge when he got to it he supposed.
