"You're doing much better, getting stronger in your walking now. That's good Mickey, soon you will be able to throw away these crutches and then be back to doing that job you love so much."

The physical therapist told Mickey as the young man who had been coming to see him for the last three months wearily let himself down on the seat that had been placed in the therapy room at the local doctor's surgery, where he had been coming every week since he had been discharged finally from the hospital following his shooting and subsequent abduction. Not that the therapist or anyone in the surgery knew that Mickey had been abducted, just shot.

"That's good, how long?"

This was news that Mickey had been praying for such a long time, the chance to go back to doing the work that was his whole life. The therapist checked his notes and made a few calculations with the information he had before looking up and addressing Mickey again.

"If all goes well and there are no complications, you should be without your crutches in a months time."

The smile that Mickey gave his therapist was the largest the guy had ever seen, he could see that the news that he given him was the best thing the young man had ever heard.

"I'll see you again next week Mickey, if you continue doing your exercises then I hope to be able to take you off of your crutches temporarily or preferably permanently and replace them with walking sticks."

"I'll see you next week."

xXx

Jack had been waiting at the café near Mickey's home for about ten minutes when Mickey hobbled through the door of the café, making his way towards the table that had become theirs in the time that they had been meeting there.

"You have been waiting long?" Mickey asked.

"Not long," Jack assured him.

Jack had already ordered for the two of them, their order was the same every week and he swore that the guy behind the counter already had the cups made with the exception of the hot water which he always seemed to pour in the moment that he spotted Jack walking through the door. He chuckled to himself as he thought about it and Mickey quirked an eyebrow at him.

"I was just thinking that the guy behind the counter always seems to know the moment I walk through the door and has our drinks ready. He must have CCTV down the street or some at."

Mickey grinned as Jack told him, he knew that it was not the case; he simply had phoned ahead and told the guy, the owner of the café when he was on his way. He had known Malik, the guy who owned the place for the last few years and they got on well together both of them liking the same football team and a few years before the two of them had been on the same amateur football team but that had been before Martin Delaney and what he had done to Mickey that fateful day when he had given chase after the man.

"So what did the therapist say?"

Jack asked his colleague, he had seen that there seemed to be a sprite movement in Mickey's step and there was a look of happiness he thought in Mickey's eyes. Grinning Mickey tried to be nonchalant as he answered his boss and friend.

"Couple of week's maybe a month and I should be back to work or at least off my crutches."

"That is good to hear Mickey; you've been missed at work."

"Might be a chance to go out and celebrate, this weekend maybe."

Mickey asked hesitantly and Jack grinned but he knew that it would not be this weekend; he and a number of other officers were off for the weekend to a working partnership conference between the different police authorities.

"Can't this weekend Mickey, I'm away for a conference on the edge of Guildford. It's to help the different police authorities to work with another somewhere else in the country and how to share resources."

"Shame, it would have been a good night out," Mickey told him.

Jack smiled again and shrugged, he knew that Mickey was getting fed up with being stuck at home and as much as he wanted to support his young officer and friend he knew he could not, well not this weekend.

"Sorry Mickey but we can do something next weekend or when I get back on Sunday, it might be late though."

Mickey studied his drink while he listened to his friend and boss, he had known that Jack was going to be away this weekend but he thought he would ask anyway. Grinning at him he told him that it was fine and that they could go out the following weekend, for as he told him it would be late and they both would be tired. He did not expect Jack to go for a night out after spending a whole weekend at a boring conference, which as he told him that he would probably spend most of his time asleep at.

The two of them carried on chatting for a few more minute before Jack saw he had to be back at the office and he promised to call Mickey over the weekend to make sure he was alright. The two friends shook hands as Jack they left the café the two men going in different directions as they left.

xXx

Jack glanced at the impressive building that the conference was being held at for the weekend, he had left Sun Hill earlier that afternoon and the traffic though heavy had not been bad. He glanced down at his watch and saw that it was a little after four, he knew he had about half an hour before he had to sign in for the weekend.

Entering the reception he made his way over to the check in desk, the receptionist confirmed his booking and handed him his key card, he was pleased to see that he was not too far from where the main part of the conference was taking place, picking up his weekend bag he made his way to his room.

He paused when he got to his room, jiggling the card in the electronic lock when it was apparent that it was not going to be easy to open.

"You're having problems with your key card as well."

Jack turned as he heard a voice behind him. A young woman stood there grinning slightly at his difficulties with his key card.

"We are all having problems with them, mine was just as difficult. Your DCI Meadows are you not; you're here for the working partnerships conference."

"I am," Jack frowned suspiciously, as he answered the young woman.

The young woman grinned at his look as she realised that she had not yet introduced herself.

"I'm sorry, I'm DS Brinson, and I'm with the Hampshire Constabulary stationed at Bishops Waltham in the Meon Valley."

"I am DCI Meadows, Jack though. How did you know who I was?"

"I checked on the identities of all the people coming to the conference, a bad habit of mine I'm afraid. I'll leave you to it."

Jacks key card suddenly worked in his door and it swung open and Jack nodded to his fellow officer as he entered his room. Grinning he thought to him, it might not be as bad as I thought here this weekend. It did not take Jack long to unpack his weekend bag and he soon made his way down to the bar and signed himself into the conference as he made his way there, picking up a folder that contained all the information about the coming weekend.

As he leafed through the folder, he sipped at a whisky as he read exactly what would take place this weekend. The various talks and workshops that were to take place and were thought that it would make the interaction between the two different forces much easier.