Disclaimer not mine

Night Duty

Beth elbowed her assailant in the ribs as she screamed. She did not appreciate being grabbed around the throat in the dark. The narrow alley way was covered in ice and the man that grabbed her slipped under the force of her counter attack. She screamed again as she saw the knife lunge towards her. Kicking out she knocked it from his hand as the attacker, no more than a teenager pushed past her and ran in to the estate. Beth swore fluently as her back connected with a flimsy partition and her head hit the wall. Seconds later Dimitri was in front of her.

"Beth!" He grabbed her hand as she struggled to her feet.

"Some cheeky little sod just tried to mug me. Stupid little idiot" She shook herself off as Dimitri smiled.

"Are you ok? Bailey?"

Beth stopped swearing for a moment and caught Dimitri's eye. Swallowing hard for a moment she couldn't answer. There was something in the way he looked at her that made her pause. It was the same look that she had seen in his eyes when he had appeared on her doorstep a few nights earlier. She nodded as Zoe and Zaf arrived.

"You alright Beth?" Zaf asked as she nodded. For a second she didn't trust herself not to say something incredibly stupid.

"Some kid just tried to mug her" Dimitri explained. Zaf was sure the flash of anger he saw cross Dimitri's face wasn't his imagination. Zaf shook his head.

"Poor kid won't try that twice!" Zaf watched as Zoe stepped past the small group.

"Good job he did. Beth, you just found the bomb" Zoe stepped back slightly as Zaf waved for Lucas and Adam to follow them with the bomb squad. Maybe just maybe we are starting to get some of that Christmas luck Beth keeps going on about. Zoe thought as Adam and the others ran towards them.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Wes couldn't sleep. There were only a few days left of school and he couldn't wait for the Christmas holidays. He stared at the ceiling wondering whether his Dad had come home yet. It was after midnight but there was no way he was going to get anymore sleep until he checked things out. Sighing heavily he climbed out of bed.

"Wes?" Carrie yawned as the young boy made it into the living room. "What are you doing up?"

She turned away from the rolling news report on Sky News. It had become a nightly habit, watching the news. Especially now she knew what Adam really did for a living. She watched the young boy as she made room for him on the sofa.

"So, Dad working late again?"

"Yeah" Carrie sighed. Wes wasn't a baby anymore; he knew his father had a dangerous job that the same job had indirectly led to his mother being murdered. "Emma and Amy are sleeping here tonight. That's ok isn't it?"

Wes nodded "Course it is, the girls are cool" He yawned.

"My dad" He paused "His job is weird isn't it? I mean he said my Gran was coming down from Blackpool for Christmas. But I bet we don't get to see him much. And you are going away" He shrugged.

Carrie stared at him. He was so much like his father that is was uncanny. The same charm smile, the same eyes. She sighed as the young boy looked at his feet.

"Not for long. I have to see my parents and our Caitlin or they will forget what I look like" She smiled as Wes sighed.

"Yeah"

"I am coming back though"

"Christmas is for families isn't it? If you and Dad were married we would be family and you wouldn't have to go away on your own. They could come here to see you or we could all go. Because we would be family" He yawned as Carrie felt her eyes fill with tears.

"I am coming back. And you and Adam are family as far as I am concerned"

"People leave all the time. They say they will come back. They never do. Like Mum, Like Jo, like Danny. Either that or they are gone for ages. Like Auntie Ruth, like Zaf and Zoe. Like Dad"

"They came back Wes. Ruth, Zaf, Zoe and all the others came back." Carrie hugged the young boy "Your Dad came home, so will I"

"Yeah"

"I promise"

"Ok"

"Right, bed. You have school in the morning" She watched as Wes turned on his best puppy dog eyes.

"I have a stomach ache"

"No, you have double maths. I saw the timetable. Bed young man. Move it!" She laughed slightly as Wes dragged himself back to his room.

Xxxxxxxxx

Malcolm placed a mug of camomile tea in front of Ros as she sat at her desk. She was nervous about seeing Juliet again. It hadn't been long since the fight in the church where Juliet had tried to kill her; the memories of Yalta and faking her own death were at the forefront of her mind as she saw Malcolm look at her.

"Thank you"

"Good for the nerves" He smiled as he sat next to her. Tariq and Ruth were talking quietly and trying to get hold of Adam.

"Nerves?"

"I know you Ros" She smiled as he spoke. Malcolm was right, he did know her. If it wasn't for Malcolm she wasn't sure what would have happened to her after the hotel explosion.

"Yeah" She sighed. Malcolm had been a friend to her when she really thought she hadn't deserved it. She watched the older man as he spoke.

"I talked with Harry"

"Right"

"He has collected Juliet from the rehab centre. Has no reason to believe they have been followed" Malcolm watched as Ros reverted to Ice Queen Mode. It happened less and less but sometimes it was evident. Malcolm knew it was a self defence mechanism.

"So they are on the way back here"

"No" Ros frowned as he spoke. "An old contact of Harry's is going to baby sit. We thought it best that a known traitor did not come back here"

"Who?"

"Alec White. He's an ex officer, dishonourable discharge back in the late 1990s. Good man, he was kicked out of the service in the same mess that saw my Sarah put in prison" Malcolm frowned at the memory. "He has experience of body guarding the more difficult people we see. He should be fine with Juliet" He watched as Ros visibly seemed to relax.

"And besides, I think he feared for the safety of the Grid should Juliet be here with yourself and Ruth" Ros shook her head and smiled. She couldn't help but think he had a point.

"Ros" Tariq called across to her as Malcolm returned to his own workstation.

"Yes"

"Beth found the Bomb. Bomb Squad have disarmed it" He smiled.

"Good. Get them all back here"

The relief that not only was Juliet not coming to the Grid but that the bomb had also been disabled was palpable. Ruth caught Ros' eye as both women smiled.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Harry drove in silence towards the East London address Malcolm had given him. He knew Juliet would not like the plan but at that point she had little choice and he didn't care. Part of him was wondering exactly why he had felt the need to prevent her murder when she had caused so much pain and destruction. But then he reasoned to himself that he couldn't let her die. Not after surviving Fisher once and after all it was Christmas.

"Where are we going?" Juliet finally asked as Harry drove towards Bow.

"To see a friend" Harry slowed the car as they reached a zebra crossing.

"Not the Grid?" Juliet was amazed.

"No" He smiled slightly as he turned the car onto a side street. Juliet stared out of the window, watching the Christmas lights pass as Harry drove. It was gone midnight when they reached the once fashionable apartment buildings that were now covered in graffiti. Harry escorted Juliet in to the building a little more forcibly than she would have liked. Harry chuckled slightly as she shot him a death glare.

"Yeah?" Alec leant on the door frame as he answered it on Harry's first knock. It was clear he had been sleeping on the sofa while he waited for Harry.

"Remember that favour I asked you?" Harry stated.

"Yeah" He cast an eye at Juliet.

"She's it. Keep her alive until I get back here" He ushered Juliet in to the flat as he spoke. Alec frowned at the brunette who was perched on her crutches in his front room.

"Juliet Shaw"

"Yes" She snapped. Her cut glass accent jarred Alec's nerves.

"Bloody hell" He turned to face his unwanted guest "Who wants you dead this time?"

Harry chuckled as he removed a stack of old newspapers off a battered leather sofa. Juliet raised an eyebrow.

"Who doesn't?" Juliet answered.

"Long story" Harry sighed "There's a bit of a queue. I can't take her to the Grid." Juliet shot him a death glare which he ignored.

"You owe me Alec"

"Don't I know it" Alec shook his head as Juliet raised an eyebrow.

"Juliet, behave yourself. Alec you have my number, I'll be in touch." Alec nodded as he showed Harry to the door.

"How long?"

"Do you have any other plans for Christmas?" Harry smiled as Alec looked astounded. He shook his head. "Stop her getting killed" He shook Alec's hand before stepping out into the night.

Xxxxxxxxx

Beth looked around the Grid. It had been half an hour since they had all returned as instructed. Her head ached and she felt sick although she was certain she was not going to tell the others she felt unwell. The concerned looks Dimitri kept sending her were bad enough as it was. Ruth smiled at her friend before handing her a tube of arnica cream.

"He only worries about you, you know that" She nodded towards Dimitri as Beth sighed.

"Yeah, no need though"

"Isn't there?" Ruth watched as Beth turned her face back to the computer. She shook her head as Dimitri crossed to speak to Beth.

"That kid that mugged you" he started as Ruth did her best to show she wasn't listening.

"Will have sore ribs and a black eye in the morning. Cheeky little sod" Beth watched as Dimitri rolled his eyes. "I told you I can take care of myself"

"Yeah" He sighed. He was grateful that Ros broke the tension in the air.

"Thank you everyone. Message from Harry. Go home, get some rest. We made good progress tonight; we just have to wait for ballistics and forensics to get back to us." She watched the assembled officers. "Home, those that do not need to be here get out of here" She watched as everyone except Ruth seemed to move "Remember from 7 am Adam is acting Section Chief. See you at the Christmas party in a few days. Thank you everyone"

Ruth watched the rest of the team prepare to leave as she glanced at her clock. Was it really 3 am? Really? Ruth sighed as she rested her head on her hand.

"Go home Ruth" Malcolm instructed her.

"Soon, when Harry gets back" Ruth sighed as Malcolm smiled.

"Of course" He answered his friend as the Grid slowly emptied. It seemed Ruth and Harry would always be waiting for each other.

author's note. Well I thought we hadnt seen Wes for a while. Not long until Christmas now. What will Dimitri do with the Mistletoe? Also who has still to go shopping for the Secret Santa? More soon xx