Disclaimer I do not own Law And Order UK. If I did the last series would have ended with everyone happy :D

The Chase.

Matt glanced back towards the courtroom. He desperately wanted to go back in and drag James and Alesha out of there. The revelation that not only were Carl Ryan and Evanson related, Ryan had killed someone to get away. The thought of Alesha in the same room as Evanson made his skin crawl.

"Matt?" Ronnie frowned as he looked at his younger friend. "Matt?"

"Sorry." Matt turned to face him. "So do we have any idea where he would have gone?"

"His ex wife's place?" Angie shrugged her shoulders and immediately regretted it. Ronnie nodded.

"Seems as good a place to start as any." Ronnie shrugged his shoulders as he watched his two younger colleagues. He knew how lucky they had been that James was alive and back with them and that Angie was in one piece. He hated to think what could have happened to little Justine if Angie had been more badly injured, or worse. He began to usher the two younger officers towards the court exit when Natalie rested a hand on his arm. The touch wasn't missed by either Angie or Matt who just stared at each other.

"Guv?"

"Angie, stay here. I want those two informed the minute they get out of court. It can't be much longer before the Judge lets them all out for lunch."

"Yes Guv." Ronnie met her eye and immediately looked away. Domething Angie had said stuck in his mind. It was insane that Matt and Angie had been teasing him about his friendship with the Guv. But that was all it was. Friendship. Especially after the way things had ended with Liz. He shook his head. "Right, Ang luv. You stay here, let us know the minute James and Alesha are out of court. But stay here and make sure they do too."

"Ok." Angie sighed. The pain in her shoulder still slowed her down but she was determined to help put the man who shot her behind bars.

"I'll see you back at the station." Natalie smiled at the younger woman. "And you two can fill me in on the way." Natalie walked on ahead, giving the men no option but to follow.

#############

The Judge glanced across at the Prosecuting Counsell as James tried his best not to fidget in his seat. His back burned fiercely as he sat waiting for the Judge to dismiss them for the lunch break. He really wanted to get Chrissy Ryan and Ronnie on the stand, knowing that the DS would provide the testimony he needed to be able to put Evanson in prison for a very long time. He tried not to sigh as he felt Alesha stare at him. After what seemed like hours the Judge ordered them all to return at 2pm. He closed his eyes as he got to his feet.

"James?" Alesha frowned as she watched her best friend struggle with the pain in was clearly trying to hide.

"Lunch?"

"Hospital?"

"Alesha." James sighed as the court room door opened and Angie tried to make her way towards them, ever careful of her wounded shoulder.

"Hiya." Angie smiled as Alesha turned to her. She knew her friend had been hoping Matt would be there. "Bad news."

"Go on." James stared at her.

"Carl Ryan murdered a prison guard and escaped on his way to his Bail Hearing." She watched as Alesha's eyes widened.

"The Guv and the boys have gone to his see his ex wife."

"Chrissy Ryan." Alesha confirmed as Angie nodded. James leant heavily against the bench.

"Yeah."

"They think he'll go there?" James asked as he rested a hand on his side.

"Worth a try." Angie frowned as the colour seemed to drain from James' face. Alesha turned as James began breathing heavily.

"Oh my God! James!" Alesha half yelled as he collapsed on to her as Angie screamed for help.

################

Matt parked the car outside of a scruffy looking coucil tower block. He killed the engine as Ronnie opened the car door. Natalie was out of the car and walking towards the entrance to the tower block before Matt could catch up with her.

"You really think he'd go back to his ex wife?" Matt asked.

"Look, it's the only lead we have." Natalie stated.

"Yeah."

"All I know." Ronnie started "Is that if I was him, the last place I'd run to is me ex misses. Either of them."

"Well, you aren't a murderer." Natalie answered.

"True. Although I could murder a bacon sandwich."

"Boys!" Natalie scolded them. Matt smiled slightly. He loved working for MIU and the banter between his team. He knew he thought of Ronnie, Angie and Natalie as the family he had never really had. He made a mental note to call Kate. He knew she had to be back from Dublin before much longer.

"Anyway." Matt began. "Flat 35 is this way." He turned and began walking in the other direction, breaking into a run when the sound of a woman screaming followed by gunshots were heard. Natalie swore profusely under her breath as she pulled out her phone to request armed response for back up. Ronnie began running after Matt, well aware that the younger man was fitter and stronger than he was. For a second he was glad he was slower. Reaching the doorway of Flat 35 he fought the urge to be sick, knowing that Natalie was only a few seconds behind him.

############

"Please answer." Alesha mumbled as Matt's mobile kept ringing. She knew there were only a few more rings before it went to answer phone. "Please Matt."

"Hi, this is Matt Devlin. Sorry I can't take your call. If you leave your name and number I'll be in touch. Thanks. Bye."

Alesha closed her eyes as she heard the recording kick in. She had already left two messages. Glancing at Angie as she opened her eyes she decided a third message was in order.

"Matt, it's me. Ah, can you ring me back as soon as. I'm at the hospital with James and Angie. I'm fine. It's James. They think he has a collapsed lung. A slow pneumothorax." She paused. "Please Matt. Be careful. I'll talk to you soon. Love you." She hung up as Angie walked across to her.

"He's ok." Angie sighed. "Matt isn't going to do anything stupid."

Alesha smiled as Angie sat down.

"No?"

"Well, no more stupid than usual. James is going to be fine. He asked that I didn't ring Bea. So I called George. He's on his way." Angie explained as Alesha smiled tightly.

"Ange."

"I know. He scared me too." She sipped her tea.

"He's going to win. Isn't he? Carl Ryan I mean. He's going to kill us. I can just feel it." Alesha stared at the floor, she was desperate to see Matt but knew there was no way he would leave Ronnie and Natalie in trouble.

"No." Angie stated. "No, he isn't. I've known this team long enough. Carl Ryan is just prolonging the inevitable. He's shot me and put James in hospital but he isn't going to hurt anyone else." She knew she was hoping just as much as Alesha was.

##############

"Now." Ronnie started as he took in the bloodsoaked hallway. "Put the gun down." He deliberately stood between Ryan and Natalie as Matt tried to figure out their options.

"Ron." Matt started as the body of a young woman could be seen slumped in a chair.

"That your Chrissy?" Ronnie started.

"Yeah."

"She looks in a bad way. I aint no doctor but I reckon we should get her to A&E, sharpish." Ronnie braved a step forward. Matt swallowed hard as memories of his own shooting came to the forefront of his mind. He knew Ronnie was determined to put himself in the firing line rather than risk him and Natalie getting hurt.

"Yeah." Natalie answered. "But she is breathing. Come on Carl. It's over. You know it is."

Carl Ryan shook his head as he heard her.

"She's a two timing bitch!"

"No reason to kill her though." Matt answered as he stared at the woman. Natalie was right. Her chest was moving.

"What would you know?"

"I know that shoving that gun in my face isn't helping." Matt answered. He just wanted to get the gun as far away from them as he could. In the distance the distinctive sound of sirens could be heard. Ryan glared at him as he tried to think what to do.

"Ryan." Ronnie started as he reached out a hand. "Give me the gun. Yeah?"

"NO!" Ryan yelled as he barrelled into Ronnie, physically knocking him to the floor. Matt was on his feet in seconds as he tried to chase him. Ronnie pushed himself to his feet as a distince sense of de ja vu plauged him. It was only when he heard Matt swearing before the familiar footsteps seemed to come nearer that he realised Natalie had been almost silent since Ryan had legged it.

"No" Ronnie whispered as he saw her curled on the floor with her hands on her abdomen. "No, Natalie. Look at me!" He knelt by her side as Matt returned. "Matty, get an ambulance."

"Ma'am?"

"Now!" Ronnie pulled back one of Natalie's hands as the blood seeped through her blouse onto him. "No. Oh no." He whispered as he heard Matt demand an ambulance.

"Shit." Natalie muttered. "He has a..."

"Ssh. No talking."

"My boys."

"Ssh. They're ok." Ronnie soothed as he tried to hold her wound. He knew it was useless but the way she was bleeding he was afraid to let go. "Your boys are fine. Remember?"

"Sorry. Ron." She closed her eyes.

"Don't you dare." He shook her slightly as her head lolled dangerously on his shoulder. "Not now. Nat? Natalie?"

"So. Sorry. Get after " She gasped "Him."

"Yeah, right." Ronnie looked up at Matt as he handed him something to cover the wound. He stepped over to the girl laying on the chair. It was obvious she only had a superficial wound, not like the gunshot wound he knew his boss was suffering.

"Chrissy?"

"He's gone."

"Yes."

"Stockport."

"Eh?"

"Ferry."

"Shit." Matt swore under his breath as a paramedic pulled him away from the young woman. He turned to see Natalie lifted onto a stretcher as two more paramedics worked on her. Ronnie covered his face as Matt finally realised his best mate and their boss, their beloved Guv meant more to each other than any of them knew. Suddenly the teasing he and Angie had indulged in seemed cruel. Everyone thought he and Alesha were the romance of the team. They'd all missed what was going on in front of them.

"Ron?" He squeezed his friend's shoulder as Natalie's eyes fell closed.

###############

A/N Will the team catch up with Ryan? Is Natalie ok? More soon.