Chapter 35 One More Surprise Up His Sleeve

Dylan's court date fell on Jennifer's first day of maternity leave. She sat up in bed, watching as Matt bustled around the bedroom, getting ready for his day on the stand. "Sure you don't want me to drive you in today?" she asked for the second time that morning.

He stopped tying his tie in the mirror and looked at her, a smile turning up the corners of his mouth. "Yes," he replied, walking over to sit on the edge of the bed by her side. "I'm not going to be able to keep you away from the office am I?" He leant back on his right hand, trapping her legs between where he sat and his hand on the other side of her.

She smiled back in stubborn reply. "I'm bored already," she moaned good naturedly. "What am I going to do for the next four weeks?"

He chuckled at her cabin fever. "I think they'd say enjoy it while you can," he answered. He leaned forward and kissed her passionately, holding his hands to her glowing, slightly plumper cheeks. "Seeya later," he farewelled her as he headed out of the house, his familiar cologne leaving a trail all the way out of the bedroom and into the hallway.

Jennifer listened to him reverse down the driveway and zoom off up the street. She heaved a brooding sigh and looked around the room. Jerry came plodding in, looking up at his owner with interest. She smiled at him from her position in bed – soon he wouldn't be the only one she showered attention on. She hurled herself out of bed and pushed herself up awkwardly to a standing position. She felt huge, and knew she looked it too. But it was nice in a way. Pregnancy was doing her poor, tired, ravaged coppers body a world of good, healing it in all the right places in all the right ways.

She walked out into the kitchen and sat down at the table, eyeing the stack of paperwork that sat quietly in the corner. Her laptop sat silently beside it, begging her to open it. She didn't need much convincing. This was what she would do for the next four weeks – everything she never had time to do in the Homicide office. She may not be on active duty, but she could still be a detective.

Simon sipped at his coffee thoughtfully and tried to not sound like he was teasing Matt when he prodded him for answers on his relationship with Jennifer.

"So how did you do it mate?" he asked slyly, a mischievious grin on his young face. "How did you get a beautiful creature like Jen Mapplethorpe to go out with you?"

Matt let out a guffaw. "You were the one who said we looked like a married couple!"

Simon nodded, remembering. "Yeah but I didn't think you had it in you Matty! I'm impressed, I must say."

Matt grinned, secretly chuffed.

"So now she's having a baby. You've almost ticked all the boxes. When are you buying the ring?" he asked.

Matt shrugged, holding a water glass loosely at the counter of the crew kitchen. He spoke truthfully in his answer. "To be honest, it hasn't crossed my mind, and I don't think it has hers either." He shrugged again, looking at his colleague. "And it's not about that," he stated simply. "Right now I don't need to give her a diamond to prove anything. It's not that I don't want to marry her, but it's just not what we're thinking about right now."

"So what's the deal?" Simon asked, more curious than ever.

Matt smiled, a relaxed look in his eyes. "I'm just…happy," he replied. "She makes me happy."

I want every single soul to know

That I love you for what you are

So I'll sound the bells that praise your precious heart

Duncan and Matt pulled up to the carpark behind the courthouse. Duncan sighed, glad that the day had finally come, but exhausted that it had been dragged out for much of the year. "Let's get this done," he said, determined. "I need some caffeine first though," he looked over the road at the café that called to him. "You want anything?"

Matt shook his head. He had had a peaceful sleep beside Jen last night, his hand resting on her belly as they fell asleep together. He didn't need caffeine after a night as pleasant as that. "Nah, I'll meet you in the foyer though yeah?"

"Yep," Duncan replied as he got out of the car. He walked casually away from the car, dodging the traffic. They were plenty early, so he was in no hurry, and enjoyed the sunshine as he walked the short distance across the road and around the corner to where the smell of coffee called to him.

Matt stayed in the front seat, squinting in the bright sunshine at his mobile phone screen. His fingers flied over the keys as he responded to messages he had left unanswered for days now. He was in no hurry to get inside, where it would certainly be colder and a lot more tense.

Leaning on the window sill of his open drivers side door with his elbow, it suddenly gave way and he half fell out of the car with the surprise. A gloved hand grabbed him by the collar before he could realise what was happening and dragged him from the seat, having a little difficulty when Matt's knees got caught underneath the steering wheel. But the assailant was quickly helped by another masked figure. They brutally pulled him out of the car and kicked him against the side of the car where he sat awkwardly in a daze, his reactions still not kicking in. But it didn't matter even if they had, because the two laid into him half a second later with kicks and cricket bats, beating him senseless. He cowered against the car, bringing his hands to his face and curling up to escape the blows, but they just continued until just moments later he was knocked clean unconscious and slumped to his right onto the pebbly carpark gravel.

The two assailants crouched down beside him after they had laid in their final kicks. "No one ever comes out the winner against Dylan Cooper," they whispered in his ear as he fell into unconsciousness. And with that they ran off, into the dense park that bordered the secluded carpark. Within moments they were gone, leaving Matt bloodied and bruised and no one even knew.