Authors note: I'm not a police officer so sometimes I may get things wrong. It fits in the story, I use it. Smack rat=drug abuser (it's slang from where I live)

Authors note 2: Thanks as always goes to my great proof reader Spof. She keeps me writing away and won't let up until I've finished another chapter...

Authors note 3: My characters swear. I've told them to pack the effing hell in, but they carry on regardless.

x-0-x

Processing the burglar took a wee bit longer than we wanted. We eventually managed to hand him over to CID, but not without our problems. He was known to us, but was homeless so he'd have to be kept on remand. And he was a disgusting little shit. We'd tried wrangling out of a line up with him, to 'spare Katy the hassle' (actually to spare me the hassle), but the plain clothes bods wanted one as more evidence. Not that the matching finger prints and rather fantastic description by Katy wasn't enough. The guy was a sneaky bastard and had wriggled out of being sent down on more than one occasion. They really wanted this badly. I's dotted, T's crossed. All that jazz. I couldn't blame them for that, I hated seeing criminals get away, hated losing, it was that competitive streak I still had.

Eventually after some arguing between Claire and the CID sergeant about borrowing me to chaperone Katy for the line up (it seemed they thought their CID officers were beneath being a chaperone and as I knew Katy and Sophie through the case and was female, I was perfect for the job) it was organised for a day shift the next week. And slowly and inexorably, my calender and shifts were ticked off until I was in work on a day shift and had been told to go and pick up Katy Armstrong and her companion to come to the line up.

Signing a car out, I grimly headed for the car park. I was only allowed to drive normal police cars until I passed my advanced drivers course, I had to rely on Dan for the high speed driving and pursuits. Standing in the car park, I stared at my ride. A crappy little Vauxhall Astra. Sighing gently, and pondering buying myself a new car now I'd passed my probationary period, I was lost in my own thoughts and jumped when a warm hand landed on my shoulder, followed by Claire's voice in my ear telling me to be professional and that she'd tried to spare me this. I smiled at her, knowing she had and pottered off on my little mission, not without fielding little calls off Dan, Gerry, Ian and Chris on my way. All the lads now very fully aware of who Sophie was. Of that I had no doubt, but I wasn't annoyed. New mature and confident Sian knew that Dan and Claire had probably told them for my benefit. These lads were truly my friends and were only worried about me. Finishing the last call with unseen rolled eyes and a promise to call Dan if I felt overwhelmed, I parked outside the tidy terrace house. I sat and wrote a few notes in my notebook to gain me some extra time before being pretty much alone with the double team of Katy and Sophie for the thirty minutes drive back to the station. Calming myself down with some deep breathing exercises, I left the car and knocked on the neatly painted door.

Twitching and fiddling with my uniform, making sure it was neat and tidy, I heard light footsteps and then the door was opened to a nervous looking Sophie. I nodded and greeted her and told her I'd wait for them both by the car. Walking slowly to the gate and then lurking by the car, I watched the two of them have some sort of discussion before finally locking the front door and making their way towards me.

"You're sure everything's locked up ladies?" I raised an eyebrow, vowing to be the consummate professional to my ex lover and ex friend. Nothing more, never anything more, not now.

"What did you think we were discussing?" Katy snapped at me "You?"

I smiled and quirked an eyebrow up to let them know that yes, actually that was exactly what I thought. I know I was acting a little out of character here, I'm certainly not smug and arrogant, but it was the only defence I had against Sophie. She walked past me to the car and I caught a glimpse of her, head down, and then slyly looking at me from under her eyelashes as she climbed into the back of the small police car. I caught a glimpse of the sunlight glinting off her wrist as she pulled the door shut before catching Katy looking at me as she hopped into the back of the car on the other side, a strange sad little smile on her face.

Managing to avoid small talk about me, I kept everything I said to a professional level, only answering about the case and what I was permitted to say. It was difficult. Every time I looked in the rear view mirror I could see Sophie staring at me unabashed, not even trying to hide her curiosity at the sight of me in my uniform. Those deep blue eyes meeting mine every time I checked my mirrors. How the fuck I kept a civil tongue in my head and stopped myself from growling at her or snapping I don't know. I kept things as light and neutral as I could.

Katy was as persistent as ever. She just didn't give up. The girl was still a Terminator, relentless. I ended up saying more than I wanted.

With a scowl of course.

Yes, I was happy as a police officer. Yes, it was fantastic Katy'd qualified as an English teacher and Sophie was a social worker. Wondrous news indeed. Yes, she was still with Ches. No, I wasn't going to answer personal questions that were not relevant to the case. Yes, wasn't it just a lovely twist of fate that brought us all back together not once, but twice in a few weeks. Yup, Katy was of the opinion it was fate. I was of the opinion fate sucked. There was utterly no mention of Lee or the reason I'd left university and the pleasure of their company.

I was guessing it wasn't acceptable to mention it in company.

Thankfully it didn't take long to get to the station, and there was some amusement as the girls realised they couldn't get out of the back of the car due to the criminal proof locks, which meant I had to open the doors for them. That glint on Sophie's wrist caught my eye again, but I would never stare at her long enough to see what it was, and we'd managed to avoid talking to each other so far. She seemed content to stare and I was content to glare. Yeah, I was still a poet.

The line up went without a hitch. Katy went in and picked the guy out of the line up they had with ease. It was all done electronically, so no one needed to see her and she didn't need to give the dramatic point and "THAT'S HIM OFFICER!" you see on TV shows. Life wasn't like that, just like there were never many happy reconciliation's either. And that was her part over and done with for now. Now it was down to the legal eagles to argue it out.

Thirty minutes later and I was driving them home again, answering questions Katy didn't want to ask the CID people. I couldn't blame her, they were arses. If there was one thing I knew about my police career, it was I was not joining CID. Sophie had pretty well been quiet all this time. Adding the odd murmured comment during the video line up and that was it.

"So, if he pleads guilty, I won't have to go in the dock and be questioned?" Sitting at a set of traffic lights, I looked in the rear view mirror to the deep blue pools staring back at me and then to Katy's scared and worried brown eyes. Closing my eyes for a minute and taking a deep breath, I put her firmly in the witness/victim category I SHOULD have treated her as from the beginning, and not the enemy. Or friend of the enemy. I gave her a quick smile, a genuine one this time, my eyes joined in with the curling of my lips and I saw Katy realise I was being a little more relaxed this time. A bit more like the Sian she maybe remembered.

The lights turned to green and we were off again, my concentration on the road and my driving. "No, if he pleads guilty, and he should, given all the evidence we have, he will just appear before the judge and be sentenced." I checked my mirrors before flicking on a indicator to turn down the road their house was on. You may be needed at court just in case, but Dan and I will be there with you, so try not to worry 'kay?" I pulled up outside the house and put the handbrake on before turning around in the seat and looking at them properly. Well, looking at Katy.
"Does he know we grassed him up?" Sophie's quiet voice filled the car. I looked at her, her expressive face showing a little more anxiety than I think she wanted too. It troubled me. I kinda had a duel edged sword thingy going on here. I really wanted to hate her, but honestly, I was never a person for hate (unless it was Lee, I was pretty positive I still hated him. I mentally snarled at the thought of him. Yup, still hated him). I was never going to forgive and forget everything that happened, but she was still an unwilling victim in all this, and I was a police officer, it was my job to protect them. Nice helpful professional PC Powers won out, just.

"No Miss Webster he doesn't know that." I pretended not to see the hurt flash across her eyes at my formal use of her name, "there's no way he'll find out from us."

"Sian" I stared at her as she spoke my name. Glared was probably closed to the truth. "Sian, can't you even say my name now?"

"No." I was blunt. "You are both involved in a crime I've investigated and assisted in arresting a male." I hoped my formal language would get the message through before mentally rolling my eyes. "I'm not being arsey for the fun of it." I shrugged. "Even if we were friends, I would need to be a little more formal, so I'd appreciate you not calling me Sian." I paused. "I don't think after everything that happened its appropriate anyway."

Getting out of the car to avoid the tear filled blue eyes, I opened the doors so they could leave me be for a bit. The close proximity to Sophie making me think and scarily, feel. I'd opened Sophie's door first and she walked past me without a seconds glance, head down searching for her keys as she headed for the door. Katy sprang out of her seat when I opened the door.

Standing up next to me she stared at me. I was too fucking tired for this, I felt drained, weary at having my walls up in Sophie's presence all this time.

"You're still a fucking idiot PC Powers." She snarled at me. I just looked at her. "Yeah, yeah, you can nick me if you like for swearing at you, but it doesn't change the fact you're a fucking idiot Sian." She carried on, showing no signs of backing off. For fucks sake, I hoped she wouldn't kick off so I'd have to arrest her. That'd just complete my day wouldn't it? "You don't know the full story Sian."

"Tell me then"

"No."

I blinked at her refusal.

"Ms Armstrong. " I sighed. "Katy. I'm too damned tired for all this shit from the past OK? I've moved on."

She smiled at me. "Course you have. Just like she has." She gestured at the house. "You want answers Sian, you need to ask her. That's all the help I'm giving you this time." I handed her my card, a copy of the one Dan had handed her, this one with my details on instead.
"As your liaison in this case, these are my contact details. Anything you need to know over the case and only the case, call me and I'll get back to you. And thank you for your help Ms Armstrong. You've been brilliant. I'll keep you updated."

She took the offered card, thanked me and smiled sadly before heading for her door. Watching her go into the building just in case I was needed, I watched Katy turn around. "By the way PC Powers, that shiny bracelet Sophie wears that you keep staring at? It's the one you bought her for Christmas two and a half years ago. She never takes it off. I've never seen her without it." And with that little bombshell, she walked into the house closing the door behind her.

Well shit.

I sat in the car for a minute gathering my thoughts not really knowing whether Katy was lying before driving back to the station and into an interrogation from Dan. I didn't tell him anything, just that things were civil and fine and professional, repeating the same information to Claire when she collared me at the end of my shift. I didn't want to talk about it with anyone. I was on some down time after today, my regular days off and I wanted to potter around my flat and go car hunting in that order. Maybe with an evening at Vanilla thrown in. Without the boys. A bit of me time hopefully with some nice woman to help take my mind off Sophie.

x-0-x

Finishing my shift and heading home after fielding numerous offers of nights out, meals in and general company from my team, I finally managed to collapse on the sofa. Knackered. Done in. Take your pick of phrases and add some of your own if you like. Bath, food and an early night was all I was good for. The emotional side of my job and keeping those damned walls in their place between me and Sophie had taken their toll. When Gerry had asked a simple question of why do it, I'd snapped a reply at him. Number one, the CID crew had demanded me as a chaperone as Katy already knew me and two, as Claire had said I needed closure, and what better way than to face my demons head on and show I'd moved on and got over her.

Lying in bed, I thought it over. The thing was, I wasn't over it was I? I'd not had the closure Claire had rightly said I needed to truly move on and Katy wasn't about to tell me what I needed to know.

And I did need to know.

I had to talk to Sophie.

Rolling over in bed, I mentally yelled at my brain to shut up while it basically shoved two fingers up at me and laughed in return. Great, now I was going mad. My brain was picking on me now.

Shoving my head under my pillow, I eventually fell asleep.