please accept my most sincerest apoligies for not updating sooner, course work has gone into overload and i am currently trying to keep my head above water. really am very sorry--but i have to warn you, don't be hanging out of anymroe update in the near future. i really should be doing homework.

hope you enjoy this chapter and as always please please please review.

Chapter 34

Unfortunately Gina had to cancel their drink that night so Sam was off the hook, though she did say she'd reschedule it soon. For some reason there was a big lapse in the amount of crime, it was good for their crime figures but it didn't give them much to do. To relieve the boredom Sam made a habit of jumping Phil in the corridor when no one was looking and dragging him into deserted briefing rooms. Phil really liked the new Sam. He also liked to see her jump whenever she saw Gary or Jo, though they had no idea why. Phil and Sam had both adopted Jo's saying, top banana and they said it to her as often as they could. "This is great Jo, top banana" or "You got something? Top banana" If the other was in earshot they'd crack up with silent laughter, most of the time Jo noticed and she would frown but she'd get on with the job anyway.

Sam had felt sorry for Jo when she broke up with her girlfriend Tessa, but it seemed that she had temporarily inherited Gina's gift for sensing when things changed. Jo came into work one morning a bit happier than usual.

"So, who is she?" Sam asked in a low voice, she and Jo had become reasonably good friends recently.

"Don't know what you're talking about" Jo lied.

"Come on, please?" Sam asked smiling.

"Ok, I went clubbing last night, a friend dragged me out because she was sick of me moping, and I met this gorgeous girl. Her name's Juliet, Juliet Becker"

"Really, what does she do?" Sam asked intrigued, was this the same Juliet Becker who had worked at Sunhill for six months?

"She's a mechanic" Jo answered.

"Mmm –let me guess, specialises in motorcycles?" Sam asked

"How'd you know?"

"Just one question, does she know you work at Sunhill?"

"No, just that I'm in the MET"

"Ok, yeah, she used to work here, till she got stabbed then she left that MET."

"Who's that then?" Phil asked overhearing her.

"Juliet Becker" Sam replied.

He smirked, "You interested in her?" her asked Jo "You're not the first one."

Jo sighed, "Am I the only woman in this office you haven't slept with?" she asked annoyed.

"No" Phil replied "There's also Suzie, but between you and me, you're not the only woman Juliet was interested in either."

"Really?" Sam asked interested, she hadn't had much to do with Juliet when she was here and she hadn't heard about her relationship with another officer at the station, "Who was it."

"Believe it or not, our madam McAllister isn't as innocent as she seems."

"What, Debbie?" Sam asked astounded.

"Yep."

"How do you know?" Jo asked slowly. She had noticed he hadn't excluded Sam in that, but from what she'd heard he'd been quite keen on her for a while but she wasn't having a bar of it.

"We were working a case at the time, she provided me with some very…accurate descriptions" Phil replied winking at Debbie who came over.

"My ears are burning, what's up?" she asked.

"We were just discussing Jo's new girlfriend, Juliet Becker" Phil answered.

Debbie blanched, "Juliet, how is she? What's she doing?" she asked sitting down. Sam and Phil left Jo and Debbie to their conversation.

A few days later Sam had come back to work she was dealing with another domestic, she had been temporarily assigned to VPU until Ramani got back from her training camp, and she was bored. She remembered as a PC she had learned to hate domestics and avoid them like the plague. She spotted Phil in the hallway and she propelled him into a briefing room.

"Where have you been all day?" she asked kissing him gently.

"Jack's got me heading up this drug case, should be a big haul at the end of it" he replied kissing her back deeply. She grinned and wrapped her arms around him tightly. He guided her to the bench where she could sit down and he ran his hands inside the material of her shirt. It was lunchtime anyway so no one would be looking for them. There was a knock on the door and Sam had just ducked behind the photocopier when the door opened. Phil glanced up from the papers he was shuffling to see Smithy, "Yes?" he asked.

Smithy frowned, Phil was looking…guilty but he couldn't think why. "You know that guy you asked us to pick up? He's down in custody."

"Mmm, ok, I'll be down there in a minute, just going to…finish up here" Phil said holding the papers up. Smithy frowned again then nodded and left.

"Whew, that was close" Phil remarked turning back to Sam.

"Who cares" she answered and kissed him gently. The door creaked again and they heard someone enter but by now Sam was beyond caring, who ever it was would just have to deal. She hesitated a little longer then ended the kiss and turned to see who had so rudely interrupted them. It was Neil and for once he looked surprised.

"Did you want something?" Sam asked mildly as though it was a completely normal thing to be kissing Phil Hunter in a briefing room, which it was.

"Ummm…Phil, I wanted a word about that drugs case" Neil stammered, finding his voice.

"Ok Guv" Phil said and made to leave. Sam wrapped her arms around him tighter and kissed him again, it only lasted a few seconds, then she disentangled herself, grabbed her bag and left.

"You're having an affair with Sam?" Neil asked incredulously.

"No" Phil replied.

"You were kissing her and she's married, I think that constitutes an affair Phil" Neil said, he couldn't believe Sam would be so stupid.

Phil frowned annoyed, "How do you know she's married?" he asked

"Things travel fast in a station, you know that" Neil answered, "Now, I thing the best thing to do would be to end it, she's not going to thank you when her husband find out about this"

"Her husband knows about this" Phil spat back, Neil frowned confused. "I'm her husband, like i said, i'm nto having an afair with her" Phil said in an exaggeratedly slow voice, "You shouldn't just assume things you know."

"What?" Neil asked, he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"You heard me" Phil muttered.

"I think I heard you" Neil answered.

"Mmm –and let me guess, you don't think you heard correctly because I said she was my wife, well you did, she is, and we're very happy." Phil retorted.

Neil shook his head, Phil couldn't be telling the truth, he'd ask Sam about it later, right now he needed to discuss the drugs case.

Sam was around the corner before she gave into the laughter, the look on Neil's face had been priceless. Gina saw her leaning against the wall laughing and came over, "Care to share the joke?" she asked.

"Neil, oh God his face" Sam burst into a fresh bout of laughter, "You should have seen it"

"What was so funny?" Gina asked again. Sam just shook her head and started laughing even harder. She managed to find her way to the bathroom where she washed her face, Gina followed, still pestering her to find out what was so funny.

When Sam had calmed down enough she said, "Neil walked into the briefing room and…he saw something he probably shouldn't have. The look on his face was so funny, you had to be there"

"Mmm, ok, you've danced around it long enough, what did he see?" Gina asked getting slightly annoyed.

"We never did reschedule that drink did we?" Sam asked

"No, but what has that got to do with what Neil saw?"

"Well, he walked in on me and my husband…kissing" Sam confessed, blushing slightly.

"Oh" Gina smirked, "So your husbands a police officer then?" she asked.

"Yes, so what about tonight, you free?"

"Tonight's good, is he an officer at this station, or just visiting?"

"You'll have to wait for tonight, see you at the Canley Arms at eight thirty" Sam replied and left the bathroom.

Neil came round the corner looking slightly confused and he saw Sam, hoping she could clear a few things up for him, and stop him committing Phil to a mental institution, he called her over.

"Yes Guv?" Sam asked chirpily.

"Umm –I don't know how to say this Sam…but Phil, he's erm…he's claiming you're his wife" Neil muttered, he could see Gina was watching their conversation intently and he hoped for Sam's sake, and for Phil's, that she couldn't read lips.

"And the problem here is?" Sam asked shrugging her shoulders.

"Well…erm...you're not…are you?" Neil asked awkwardly.

"Yes, I am" Sam answered. He blanched, this was the last answer he had been expecting, embarrassment, anger, her to feel flattered, confusion, but not total confirmation.

"You're kidding right?" he asked astounded, he could see Gina smirking to herself, did she know?

"No, but Guv, this isn't exactly public knowledge. Do you think you could keep it to yourself for a while please?"

"Erm…sure, who exactly does know?" he asked.

"From the station? Me and Phil obviously, Honey and Steve, and Eva and Mickey--although they're not at this station. And probably Gina, by tonight, that's all" Sam answered.

"So Jack doesn't? Adam doesn't?" Neil asked

"Nope, they'll know soon though, I'm getting my new warrant card in a few weeks."

"Your new warrant card?"

"Yeah, it's got my new name on it, Samantha Hunter" Sam answered smiling. Phil didn't know she had decided to change her name yet, but she had had a long talk with Abi and Lynn. They had helped focus the positives and negatives about changing your name after you're married, she had carefully weighed them and decided to change it, but to keep it a surprise for Phil.

"You're changing you're name?" Neil asked astounded. It was going to be difficult having two DS Hunters around.

"Yep, but don't mention it to Phil, I want it to be a surprise."

"Sure thing, anyway, Phil was looking for you, he has something he wants to discuss."

"Thanks" Sam said and walked off to find Phil.

She found him sitting in the briefing room she had left him in, so much for looking for her. As soon as she entered she knew something was wrong. "Phil, what is it, talk to me baby" she whispered, slinging an arm around his shoulders.

"Sam, there's something I need to ask you, I know you wont be too happy about this but…Neil has asked me to go undercover, we need someone on the inside if this is going to work. I really need to catch these guys."

Sam took a minute to digest this information, Phil going undercover meant she wouldn't be able to see him, wouldn't be able to talk to him at all, the only way she'd know what was going on with him was through the station. That wouldn't give her much. "How long?" she asked biting her lip, she didn't want him to go but she knew that this was something he had to do and she wasn't about to try to stop him, he would just resent her. He had been working on this case for weeks now, and he had thought he was nearing a result.

"Umm…I don't know. A month, maybe two, three at the most."

"That's a long time"

"I know, that's why I want your opinion, I wouldn't do this if you didn't want me to, you know that"

"Yeah, I know" Sam murmured. "How dangerous are we talking?"

"Pretty heavy stuff, they have been known to use firearms" Phil answered.

"Any chance they're going to get you to try drugs?" Sam asked.

"I doubt it, they aren't users themselves."

"Well, I'm not going to pretend I'm ok with it, but you have to do what you have to do" Sam said sighing, "But if you get yourself killed, or hurt in anyway, I'm not going to be very sympathetic."

Phil grinned in appreciation, "Who are you kidding Sam? You're going to be a Florence Nightingale if I get hurt," he said.

Sam smiled, "Well, it's nice to keep up the pretence" she murmured. "How long till you go undercover?"

"A week, maybe less."

"So you'll still be able to come to Lynn's for dinner on Saturday night?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world."