Weapon of Choice
Chapter 37 – Back to Life

Okay, I lied. This still isn't the last chapter! The next one will very most likely be the finale though! Hope you like it. Xx

Kerry Young awoke to sunlight streaming through the cracks in the bedroom blinds. She was in her own bed, in her own flat, alone. It had been nearly two weeks since the standoff with the Blacks and Joe at The Shack. The final adrenalin surge had long worn off and she had spent the majority of the past fortnight feeling listless and depressed. For so long she had lived and breathed the case that now it was over, she was lost.

It would have been easier with Smithy; it was always easier with him but messier too. She had barely seen or spoken to him since they had returned to their ordinary lives. Together they had met with Laura and John Walker who were grateful for all that Kerry and Dale had sacrificed and risked in order to find some kind of justice for their daughter Kathryn. It felt like a hollow victory to Kerry though, there would be no happy ever after for the Walkers. The final moments of Kathryn's life were still etched into Kerry's memory.

She wished that she could get back to work; she would take having her shoes puked on by a drunken trap over sitting at home. She had lived alone for a long while before the operation; she and Cameron had not been serious enough about their relationship to have lived together. She missed sharing a home with someone else though even if it did mean that she now had her privacy back. She even missed the school where she and Smithy had taught. Although Joe, oh god Joe, had been less of a man than Kerry had hoped he'd be, assisting him in the English department had rekindled her love of literature.

Kerry flopped back against the pillows, trying not to think about Joe Harrison too much. It was all too easy to blame herself for what had happened. They had used him, manipulated him to get even closer to the Blacks. She had to remind herself that they had offered him a way out but he had chosen Jasmine instead. If anyone could be blamed for Joe's death, it was Jasmine. Her fictional pregnancy was what had ensured Joe's loyalty to Jasmine and her father.

Part of her felt sorry for Jasmine who had so desperately wanted to be loved, but had never been taught what it really meant. Grant had never showed and Kerry feared that it might be too late now. Joe might have been good for her, but there had always been too much darkness and pain and too many obstacles between them and happiness.

Kerry hoped that her and Smithy's fate would be better. Could they succeed as a couple now that their lives were back to how they had been before the undercover operation had turned everything upside down? She loved him and she believed that he loved her too, but that didn't mean that their relationship would survive. She couldn't wait to finally talk to him properly; to feel his arms around her and to make love with him again. It wouldn't be too much longer now, but the waiting was unbearable.

When they had first been debriefed, Meadows and the top brass had forbade the two officers from seeing each other outside of the station until decisions had been made about how to proceed with taking the case to court. Many charges were being brought against Black and his daughter, and debates continued between the CPS lawyers and the Blacks' defence team. It was a major bust for the Metropolitan police to topple a kingpin like Grant and the powers that be wanted nothing to case a single shadow of doubt in court. As much as she wanted; needed to see Dale, she would not risk months of work, blood, sweat and tears just to be with him.

Kerry spent that afternoon with Honey who was on the nightshift that week. It was a relief to be in the company of a friend again. She had missed Honey, Yvonne and Andrea while she had been undercover and they'd been filling her in on the all the station gossip that she had missed out on. She was relieved that she hadn't had to encounter Cameron on the occasions that she had been at the station to be debriefed or interviewed. His testimony was important too, and although initially Kerry had been annoyed when he'd become involved in the operation, in hindsight she was glad of it.

When Cameron had realised that Joe would choose Jasmine Black over his own freedom, he had been worried that the teacher would tell Black about their conversations. It was Cameron who had called for officers to go to The Shack as back up on that Saturday night. When he had entered the bar himself first, he had tried to convince the three of them, Grant, Jasmine and Joe, to turn themselves in. With Smithy and Kerry's aid, he had made some progress with Joe and Jasmine, who were more impressionable and fearful than Grant, but when Black had heard a siren outside in the street, he had fired the small pistol he liked to carry inside his jacket pocket at his daughter's lover. It may have been a small ornate weapon but it was still deadly.

When the police had arrived at the scene, Jasmine had been on her knees beside Joe while a pool of blood formed around his body. There was a look of satisfaction on Grant's face and it was still present when he was taken away in handcuffs. Grant Black had always planned to kill the man who was screwing his young daughter; it had just been a matter of when.

In the end Cameron may have been invaluable to the operation, but that didn't mean that Kerry had to like the fact. Even if things didn't work out for her and Smithy, she knew that she was now completely over Cameron Tait.

"Ooh, this is nice!" Honey said, her voice bringing Kerry back to the present moment. She frowned at the dress that Honey was holding up.

"You should buy it, Hon."

Honey shook her head. "No for you, stupid."

"I don't think so," She turned away, pretending to examine a display of shoes. The dress that honey had picked out was the cocktail version of the long red gown that Kerry had worn the night of Black's party, when she had been abducted but then rescued by Louis. The same night that she and Smithy had made crazy, passionate love all night long. It had been one of the worst nights of her live, but maybe one of the best, too. She turned back to Honey who was still looking at the dresses. "To hell with it," She said. "I'm going to buy it."

Honey smiled as she watched Kerry pick her size from the rail, pleased to find her friend re-emerging.

"Smithy will love it," She winked, making Kerry blush. Before she could protest, Honey dragged her off to the lingerie section of the shop. She began to feel the depression slip away as she and Honey giggled, shopped and treated themselves to cake in a café.

That evening she put away her new purchases and fell asleep more quickly than she had in a long time. She slept in late too, waking up at eleven o'clock when the phone beside her bed began to ring. It was Meadows calling her into the station.

She showered quickly and was at the police station in less than an hour, greeted warmly by her colleagues. They were proud of the way she had helped take Black and his men off the streets. No doubt someone new would be along to replace him, but they had been working so hard for so long to get at Black that it was time for a little celebration.

She made her way to the staircase that led up to CID when Smithy came out of one of the doors leading off the corridor. She couldn't hold back her smile when she saw him and it was hard not to throw herself into his arms. He smiled back at her, love adding a warmth to his green eyes.

"Are you going up to see Meadows?" When Kerry nodded, he added. "Me too."

He slipped his hand around hers and they held onto each other as they made their way up the steps. They didn't let go until they were standing outside of Meadows' office.