New chapter :) I hope you'd like it.

John Paul and Bridget were sitting like a pair of pupils in front of principal's desk, wondering how big punishment they're going to get because of their unthinkingly actions. The man looked down on his laps when Craig finally came in to the office and start crowding around them like a hungry vulture, changing his strategy and trying to crush him mentally, without unnecessary shouts and flying in the air fists. He didn't have time and, primarily, strength for it today. He only dreamed to go back to home and lay in his warm bed, far away from the problems and doubts.

'You should tell us about Spike. We have a right to know what's going on with him.' Bridget broke the silence as the first. 'He needs help.'

'I already arranged him a meeting with a shrink.' Craig said as he sat down on the swivel chair. 'Maybe you have rights to know about Spike, but I wanted to do it in different circumstances…It's very delicate matter and believe me it was very hard for Spike to confess he's taking drugs.' He replied surprisingly calmed. John Paul expected he'd bite her head off.

'Conversation with a shrink won't help him to deal with everything, Craig.' She said firmly. 'Superintendent should send him for some therapy.' She suggested and Craig reached up his hand to stop her from saying anything more.

'Superintendent can't know about it. I guess everybody wants Spike to continue his carrier and we counting on his help in other cases, and if we tell about his problems Superintendent, he'll be finish for good. I don't know how you, but I noticed he isn't a big fan of Spike.'

'It's against the rules, Craig! Superintendent should knows about Spike. He'll know how to help him.' She protested, didn't understand his reasoning.

'Yea, he'll put him on the first plane flying to Ibiza.' He snorted. 'Yea, I really appreciate such a help.'

'How long you're going to pretend everything's okay? He's not stupid, Craig…'

'Until someone decides to sell him off.' He replied sharply, stared at her unfriendly. 'You're going to risk our friendship with Spike because you're afraid of Superintendent? You think he's gonna give you an order for it?' He asked with a snort.

'Bridget doesn't has nothing wrong in mind.' John Paul stood in her defense. 'You don't need to be so rude for her.'

'So you're gonna go to Superintendent with her, eh?' He asked him coldly, disappointed in his eyes. 'Show him how good pupils you two are.'

'No, I don't think either that we should inform Superintendent about Spike's state. I think we can handle with it, without his help.' He replied, staring straight into his eyes.

'Thank you. Spike will appreciate you're standing for his side.' Darren said softly from his place on the desk. 'You can't forget it could be one of us who would find himself in such troubles.'

'It's sick idea, Craig! I don't know how you're going to do it, but still I think we should talk with Superintendent…But, fine. You don't want, okay. I won't be either, but don't mix me on it, when he finds the truth.' She snapped outraged and crossed her arms against chest. Craig smirked, knowing he didn't has to bother about her anymore. She won't say a word to Superintendent.

'Anyway, I still think Spike should take a part in the investigation. At least we should take into consideration his conclusions. We can't forget it's him who helped us very much to move the case.' John Paul said after a pause. 'We can't isolate him from us.'

'I'm not going to let him work on that case anymore. He needs to sort himself out.'

'He needs our support, to sort himself out.' John Paul argued and Bridget growled loudly knowing how it's going to end. 'You're going to talk with him, aren't you?'

'He doesn't want to talk with me.' He grunted in response, ignoring his look.

'He told you that, or you just got a vibe?' He asked him sarcastically.

'I don't know how to talk with him, okay? It overgrows me.'

'So you need to do something about it, cause Spike needs you like never before. He won't talk about such things with a guy who just joined the station, or with a partner who he just met, or with a woman who won't understand him, cause she's a woman.' He shugged.

'Oh, thanks John Paul.' Bridget snarled to him, offended.

'You're a bit too much motherly, Bridget. Sorry.'

'Darren, Bridget, can you leave us alone, please?' Craig asked calmly, although his all silhouette was showing how tensed and angry he was.

'Why you don't want to talk about it with them in the room, eh? I just trying to say he needs our support not be isolated from us.'

'He can't work with us anymore.' Craig said firmly, didn't give up.

'Craig if he doesn't talk with us, then with whom? With Randall? Oh, yea, I bet he wants to hear what his boyfriend thinks. Especially when he can show him a place with his fist.' John Paul snapped irate. 'Just think a little.'

'John Paul has a right, Craig. If we push him away, he'll be alone, and only God knows how It's going to end.' Darren chimed in, and Craig gritted his teeth.

'I have enough your coalition!' He barked at them. 'He's going to stay where I said, and you...' He pointed at his stepbrother. 'Don't mix God into this. I don't have any regrets about my decision. We'll handle a case alone.'

'I just pray you won't pay for it too much, Craig.' John Paul said quietly, making Craig roll his eyes. 'I have a feeling it's not going to end good.'

'Stop being so pessimistic, you're making my head hurt…I don't want to talk about Spike anymore, unless it's not connect with a case.'

'Spike is not connected with a case, Craig.' Bridget recalled him firmly.

'Well, I'm not so sure about that.' The man said. 'I think he lied to us, but I don't know why he would do it.'

'Lie in what?' She asked, dumbfounded. 'You have any evidences?'

'Not yet, but when I talked with Randall..'

'Oh, come on! So it was Randall who said you that?' John Paul exclaimed, shaking his head.

'He didn't say.' He said firmly. 'It's just, about something he said, it doesn't match. And I wonder, if he...'

'Maybe we stop right here...'

'Bridget.' He said, ignoring his partner. 'When Spike came back to England?'

'About two days before he starts working here.' She shrugged. 'Why you asked?'

'Randall said us a very interesting thing, but you see, the timeline, doesn't match.' He replied, wondering about something. 'Are you sure he came back then? Not earlier?'

'Well, he could came few days earlier...' She replied after a minute. 'But what you have in mind, telling earlier? I know you enough to know you're not thinking like a normal people, and earlier can means even month.' She rolled her eyes.

'How about six months?' He grinned, as she gave him odd look.

'Six months? Are you mad, Craig? You didn't talk with Superintendent? He was going to came back to us, not walked cross the street and came in to the station.'

'So you know about his return only from Superintendent?' He made sure, a little surprise. 'What did he tell you exactly?'

'That he and Chief Constable decided we need a help from an experience officer…so they brought Spike back to us.' She replied. 'You really think he was all the time in England? Why he'd do it?'

'Maybe he didn't want to face Craig.' John Paul suggested. 'I don't see more options.'

'Well, I'll talk with Randall once again and see if he's telling the truth and then maybe we talk with Spike...I guess it's not save to ask Superintendent what he thinks about it, eh?'

'Better we do it quiet and don't bother Spike about it till we're not sure and don't have any evidences.' Darren said calmly.

'Until Randall doesn't confirm it.'

'You're behaving like you're sure Spike lied.' Darren noticed. 'Why don't you think it was Randall who lied?'

'Cause he doesn't get any benefits with lying about it.' He replied with a slight smile. 'Maybe if we find that Spike was laying, we'll able to set up what pushed him to come back and take drugs.'

'It's very dangerous game, don't you think?' John Paul asked him.

'Yes, but we're coppers, so dangerous means nothing to us, yeah?'

'You said Spike start taking drugs in England, when you came back.' Craig started as he checked something in files. 'Can you recall me, when was that?'

'Half year go.' He replied without interest. 'Why you keep asking about it, eh?'

'What were you doing during this half years, hmm?' He continued, ignoring his question. 'I guess you get back to work, but what about Spike? I don't think he was sitting like a good wife in home and waiting for you with a warm dinner.' He asked, couldn't stop himself from little irony.

'He was a security guard in my building. You can phone to my boss and ask him about his files.'

'He didn't want to come back to police? He had enough work there?'

'No, he wanted to come back very badly, but he couldn't. He said it was because of your Superintendent, and secondly he didn't want to meet with you.' Randall replied with half smile. 'This work was killing him, but he decided he wasn't going to beg you for a mercy.'

'It won't be a mercy.' Craig said firmly.

'He thought something different. Anyway he already had enough problems on his head and didn't need new one.'

'Like nightmares? I know you're not telling us the all truth, Randall. You're hiding something, but I don't know why.' He decided to attack, having enough this polite, small game.

'I'm not hiding anything!' He snapped, but when his eyes automatically avoid Craig's, man knew he was lying.

'Your body language betrayed you, Randall. So better start talking, before I accused you for obstruction of investigation.' He noticed as fear passed through his eyes.

'Take it easy, okay? It's probably nothing important.' He said annoyed.

'We decide if it's or not.' Craig stated and gave him a sign to continue.

'It was a letter.'

'What letter?' Craig asked, raising his eyebrow. It wasn't a thing which he expected to hear right now.

'In the afternoon, it was the same day when these nightmares started, he got a letter from England.' He explained with a deep sigh.

'From who?

'I don't know. Spike only told me it was a letter from his old friend from England. That's all…He was very mysterious about it…One day he only told me it brought demons of his past, but never explained it further.'

'So you're telling me that although you're so possessive about him and checking every time where he's and what's he doing, you didn't want to read this letter?' He asked him ironically.

'Hell yeah I wanted! But he has hidden it somewhere and I couldn't find it.' He snarled irate. 'His a cunning beast, when he wants to hide something. I don't know what he did with a letter when we came back…I almost forgot about it.'

'Okay, so it was his old friend from England…Did you at least notice an address on the envelope?'

'No, I didn't…But,' He added when Craig sighed heavily. 'I remember that I thought it was a letter from woman.'

'From woman?' Craig repeated, taken-aback. 'Why did you think it was letter from woman? Spike told you that?'

'No, but for moment I saw an envelope, okay? When I saw letters on it, I thought it was writing with woman's hand…Well, you know. It has been written very neatly and equally and, what distinguished us from the women, was readable.' He said, flashing his teeth in smile.

'You have a clue who could be it?' Craig asked, although he didn't expect any positive reply.

'Any clue.' He replied shortly. 'Am I free now?'

'For few minutes.' Craig replied reluctantly, swearing at Ed Brook for not cooperation with them and at his boys who instead of wait and catch him red-handed, arrested them when their eyes only have laid on Ed. He couldn't believe he was going to let this guy came back to home. To Spike. He totally fucked up this one.

'Good, cause I already have enough these tiny rooms.'

'It's station, no Hilton.' Craig snapped and closed his files. 'Is it possible that Spike didn't throw it out, or burn the letter, only saved it?'

'Yea, I wouldn't be surprised if he hid it somewhere, or even walking with it every day.' He chuckled. 'He doesn't throw out things like that.'

'So there's a chance we'd see it?'

'If you think Spike is going to show you a letter, you're wrong. You may beat him to the death, but he won't do it.'

'You tried?' Craig asked sarcastically.

'Not once.' He shone his teeth in predatory smile and Craig hardly stop himself from wiped off this bloody smile from his face.

'George take this clown to the cell, before we pass through all procedures.' Craig ordered and timidly stood up.

'And then I'll be free, yeah?'

'We don't have choice.' Craig replied drily and approached officer George standing by the door. He slightly tilted toward him, so Randall couldn't hear what he was saying. 'We really don't have nothing to charge him?' He asked in whisper.

'He was in the alley with drug dealers, but it's not a crime. The lawyer would say he was just passing by them, when he was going back to home and without any evidences, judge will believe him.' George replied quietly. 'Until he didn't buy nothing from them, he's innocent.'

'He knows Ed Brook.'

'I know many drug dealers too, Craig. It makes me be a druggie then?' He gave him knowingly look before passed by him to took care about Randall. Craig sighed irate and without looking back, he walked back from the interrogation room.

He nodded his head toward Charlie and Megan working on their own cases, while he took his jacket and without more words, headed toward the exit, knowing he was too tired to talk with Spike or do something about the case. He needed to get a sleep and he didn't bother what others may say about inspector leaving the station during his work-time, only to get back to his own flat and bury himself under thick quilt.

Frank Mayfair couldn't sleep that night. From the dinner he has feeling irrational fear and when he has went to bed, he was sure he sensed someone's appearance in the house. There weren't the coppers who were watching his every steps and sharing a home with him, but someone foreign. The faint smell of mint candies accompanied him from the last three days, but until today, he didn't take it as a something alarming. He thought they belonged to one of the three coppers in house, but today he learned that Moore was allergic to mint, and others preferred to not checking how much the man was. But the smell was still present here, and he wondered who else could eat them. Maybe this young inspector who was coming there every few days to check how the youngs handling and if the security alarms are turn on above front and backside doors?

He stood up, when he heard rumors downstairs and someone's cough. He wore his bathrobe and quickly went downstairs to check what's going on. The lights in hall and living room were switched on, the cough repeated, but this time it was unnaturally long. Mr. Mayfair came in to the living room as he noticed policemen's loud voices and steps behind the wall. He stopped on the track, surprise to see young Moore sitting on the armchair, with swollen red of sweat face with unnatural big eyes, as the other men were knelling down by him, checking his pulse.

'What's going on here?' Mr. Mayfair asked, terrified.

'It looks like allergic, sir.' One of the coppers, constable Malcolm, said when the other were already calling an ambulance. 'It looks pretty bad.'

'My God, it's because that mint! I feel it in all house!' He exclaimed when Moore trying to caught the breath and control his attacks of coughs.

'Are you using some mint detergents, Sir?'

'No! You'd see if I bought something like that in the shop. You were shopping along with me.' He replied, shaking his head.

'Ambulance is on the way.' The second officer announced. 'I don't have bloody idea from where it's that smell. It hit us when we were checking the living room.'

'It smells like mint candies.' Mr. Mayfair said, screwing his nose. 'Are you sure none of us were eating them?'

'No, Sir. We know Moore is allergic to it.' Malcolm shook his head.

'I'm feeling this smell from tree days. You didn't notice it earlier?' Constables looked at each other nervously.

'Why you didn't tell us about it, Sir? We need to know about things like that.'

'I didn't know it's so important…But from the dinner I felt someone's presence here. And I start wondering that when we go out to town, someone deciding to visit house.' He admitted and Malcolm swear loudly.

'Call on the station. We need an assistance, here. Said it's emergency, probably someone else is on the property.'

'Fine, but in that time maybe I'll check outside? Because of this bloody hedge, I don't see street from here.' The other constable suggested.

'No, we need to stay in home and take care about Mr. Mayfair and Moore until ambulance arrive.' He ordered and sighed when the other start phoning to the station.

'I should have something to reduce a swelling.' Mr. Mayfair said and pointed at his office on the other side of the room. 'It's in the desk, in my office.'

'If you don't mind, Sir.' Malcolm said with slight smile. 'Maybe it'll help him a little, and until Sean doesn't finish, I need to ask you about it, Sir.'

'It's no problem. I'm back in a minute.' He said with generous smile and winked to the other copper talking on the phone. Mr. Mayfair quickly approached his desk standing in front of the big, glassy window and opened one of the drawer. He was searching for a few seconds, when he again felt irrational fear and someone's eyes at himself. He slowly raised up his head to look through the window to check if there was someone standing there. But there were only hedge and few trees growing above the road. He breathed with relief didn't notice nothing disturbing and removed some tube from the drawer, while in the same time from the garden rang a shot.

The bullet came through the window, creating on his surface small hole, and before Mr. Mayfair could hear or see something, he fall down dead on the ground, with a hole in the head and warm blood running down the window and nearest walls.

Darren was heading toward his car, when he almost crushed with Spike, walking out from the corner. He raised his eyebrows surprised to see him there, while he should sitting in the office, now.

'What are you doing, here Spike? Shouldn't you sit in the office?' He asked.

'I needed a fresh air like I said.' He replied with a slight smile. 'And you?'

'I'm waiting for Hannah, and then we go back to home. She phoned me, she's in the shop, on the next street.'

'Sounds like a nice afternoon.' Spike smiled cheekily, but he quickly stopped as he noticed concern in his partner's eyes. 'What's wrong, Darren?'

'You go out for almost one hour. Where have you been for all the time?' He asked him in serious tone, afraid of the answer. Spike sighed heavily and shook his head slightly.

'I was few streets away, needed a space to think up. Don't worry I didn't take drugs, I only drank coffee.' He replied, rolling his eyes.

'You can always talk with me, whenever you want.' Darren offered, his hand gently squeezed Spike's shoulder.

'Even now?' Spike asked him quietly.

'Of course, I only phone to Hannah and say her, to not coming here, because I need to stay in work longer.' Darren said and was going to remove his mobile phone, when Spike laid hand on his, small smile playing across his lips.

'I was just checking how much you mean it.' The man said softly, taking his hand back. 'We don't need to talk now. Go back to home with Hannah. She doesn't see you in home too often now.'

'We really can talk now.' Darren assured him. 'Just tell me what's going on?'

'It's nothing.' He sighed and looked at the entrance of the station. 'I need to take Randall back to home. So even if I want, I can't talk with you now.' He said quietly.

'Are you afraid of him?'

'No, just want to do him a favor and give him a ride back to home. I think we need to discuss few things.' He smiled softly, but it only disturbed Darren.

'Be careful, Spike. After what I saw and heard, I don't trust him.'

'Don't be such pessimistic. Sooner I'll kill him, than he me.' He chuckled, but his laugh dead on his lips as he saw how much man was worrying about him, and was serious. Before he could assured him, he'll be fine and Randall won't hurt him again, he has been pulled into tight embrace.

'I really meant it, Spike. You're not alone. If you need to talk I'm always for you, okay?' He whispered to his ear, making him to close his eyes and shiver slightly under so unexpected touch, for the first time from a long time enjoying a feeling to be with someone so close. He could feel how Darren's diaphragm working when he was breathing slowly on his neck, feel the beat of his heart on the chest, and it was making him cry. He didn't have any idea until now how much he missed that feeling, to share with someone else his space. It felt so good, he didn't want it to end.

'I know.' He whispered back, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. 'But it's so hard.'

'You don't have to go through this alone.' Spike smiled at his words. 'You just…'

'Do I disturb you?' Darren immediately jumped back from the man and his hand came through his hair as Hannah's voice rang behind his back. He smiled sheepishly to his fiancé, watching them with growing interest. Especially Spike caught her attention very badly.

'No, course not, babe.' He chuckled nervously, trying to hid his uneasiness. 'We just talking.' He wanted to slap himself as he understood what he just said and Hannah gave him funny look. Spike only shook his head, didn't even try to comment.

'I guess it was some secret, that you had to stand so close to each other.' She said with small smile, definitely making a fun of her fiancé.

'Business work.' Spike replied politely. 'And one of them just came out.' He added as his eyes caught Randall's figure walking out from the entrance. 'It was lovely to met you, Hannah. I hope next time we can talk longer.' He flashed her a grin.

'I hope so, Spike. Definitely I want to see you soon on the dinner, in our house.' She said with a sweet smile. 'Maybe on Thursday?' She suggested.

'Sounds perfect to me. I'll let Darren know if something change and I couldn't come.' Spike winked, feeling very uneasy under Darren's inquiring stare.

'Fine. So we're set up.' She smiled. 'Nice to meet you too, Spike.'

'Goodbye, Hannah. And see you later, Darren.' He said and waved his hand before he ran toward Randall standing on the end of the stairs and waiting impatiently for him.

'He's very nice.' Hannah said, didn't take her eyes from him. 'You always cuddling to each other like that?' She asked in mocking tone.

'No. He just has a really tough time on the station and I wanted him to show he can count on me.' He sighed and let Hannah take him for a hand when they slowly departed from the station. 'But no, we never cuddling to each other like that.' He added nervously.

'I don't accuse you about anything, Darren.' She laughed quietly, amused with his behavior. 'You don't have to be so nervous, I only joking.'

'Yea, I know.' He smiled slightly, trying to sound convince. 'But this all night and beginning of the morning, were so crazy…I need to go sleep.'

'Yes, I think you need a little rest, you look tired, Darren.' She said softly and gave him a peek on the check. 'I'm glad you're so good friend with Spike. It's very kind of you, you're helping him so much.' She smiled. 'I love you, when you're so protective.'

'Well, I love you, regardless of what you do.' He chuckled and bended over to kiss her lightly on the lips.

'You could be a really great father.' She continued and Darren felt very uneasy once again. 'You never thought how it may feel to be a parent? To have kids?'

'We really have to have this conversation right here?' He asked her, didn't hide his annoy. 'I'm tired and I don't like discus about such important things on the middle of the street, among these all, foreign people.'

'Okay, there was no conversation.' She said with a small smile, although Darren could notice a hint of sadness and disappointed in her voice. He sighed heavily, angry at himself he reacted so emotionally. He didn't want to hurt her, she was the best thing which happened in his life. Without her, he'll be nobody.

'I'm sorry, babe, but I'm really tired.' He said quietly as he stopped her and turned around so she was faced him right now. 'It's not like I've never thought about me being a father. I thought about it and I'm not hiding I want to have a small baby fledgling in our flat.' She smiled widely, showing him how excited she was. 'But in the future, Hannah.' He finished and her smile dropped down.

'In the future? Exactly when? When you'll be on retire?' She asked irate.

'Don't dramatize, okay?' He sighed. 'I want to have a baby with you, but firstly I think we should think about wedding, don't you think? Then we can start thinking about kids.'

'Darren, we're together from five years and it's you who still changing a date of our wedding.' She recalled him. 'We already could have a baby, if you finally decide if you want to get married.'

'Course I want...Recently I thought about us very much and I think, May, it'll be a perfect month for a weeding. Don't you think?' He asked softly and chuckled as Hannah squealed happily and threw arms around his neck. 'Finally you'll be Mrs. Osborne.'

'Yes, finally.' She agreed and pulled back from him. 'Oh, I need to tell parents about it...When we get married, we finally can start thinking seriously about kids.'

'Yea, we'll can.' He agreed, not quite happy about that thought. 'But for now, the theme is closed, okay? I already have one kid in the work and need to take care about him, before he hurt himself.' He smiled softly as Spike crossed through his mind.

'Yea, cuddle him when you're on the break.' She mocked, as they went back on the track, straight to their flat.

'You already could leave it, you know?' He rolled his eyes as she laughed.

'I know, but I like teasing you.' She hugged to his side. 'And Spike only easing the things for me.' She chuckled and shook her head.

'Oh, really? How's that come?' He asked intrigued and wrapped his right arm around her waist.

'Well, if I didn't know he's not gay, I'd say he has a crush on you.' She said with a giggle. But Darren didn't laugh, only looked at her seriously, tensing under her touch.

'What are you talking about?' He asked her, dumbfounded. Did he miss something?

'These full of admiration looks he's giving you all the time, when he knew you're not looking at him…He feels pretty comfortable with you around, even too much I would say. When you were hugging him, I'd say he was enjoying it very much.' She explained and giggled again. 'I see he really likes you, but you need to tell him to not show it so emotionally in front of everybody, cause people start talking his gay. You know how cruel they can be, especially coppers.'

'Yes, I know…I didn't have any idea about it.' Darren said quietly, shockedwith Hannah's revealation. Was he really so blind to not notice it?

'If you were a woman, you'd notice it.' She giggled. 'But like I said it's nothing to worry about, but you need to warn him, before he'll fall into troubles because of that.'

'Yea, he needs to be more careful.' He nodded, wondering what the hell do with that. He didn't want to hurt Spike, especially right now, but if Hannah was right and he has a crush on him, it looked like he had to. What a mess.