When Kate gets off the phone to Steve to explain their rather annoying and uncomfortable situation they find themselves in, Jo is still pressing the elevator buttons. Kate sighs, "I swear to God, Jo, seriously, if you push that button one more time…"
"It's sticky," she snapped, glaring at Kate. "Maybe it's just—"
"They're all sticky, I guess," she shot back. "Why don't you try to relax. They'll get us out of here as soon as they can."
"Sure. Or we'll plummet to our deaths," she said, rolling her shoulders as she fought the painful and irrating urge to jab the buttons again.
"Either way." Kate says and Jo looks at her.
"You know, your optimism is just… so appreciated right now. Really," She answered. Kate looked at Jo and Jo shot her another look, although there was at least a trace of humor this time. "I always knew you'd be the death of me, I just didn't think it would be this soon. It was either going to be you or AC12. I bet Steve Arnott is laughing his bloody head off at us now you called him."
She laughed, looking down at her phone. "You're not dying today," she said. She grimaced. "I do have bad news, though."
"They're not delivering my pizza?" She smiled indulgently, but he saw the tightness in her expression. "What?" she asked.
"Steve reckons that it's going to be at least an hour before the crew can get to us."
"An hour?" she repeated, staring at her. Jo's throat worked as she struggled to swallow. "We've already been here an hour."
"It's been ten minutes, Boss."
The rest of her words hit her on a delay. "What do you mean, at least?" She looked at her watch. "It's almost six o'clock. Maybe they'll remember us in the morning—"
"Calm down, Jo" she said.
"I am calm," She answered, even though she could clearly see the sweat beaded on her boss' forehead.
"I've never known you to be claustrophobic," she said, watching as Jo started to pace the small area. "Isn't that something your supposed to declare?"
"I'm not," she said, practically spitting the words. When Kate answered with nothing but silence, she glanced at her and waved a hand in the air. "It's usually moving, you know," Jo muttered.
"We'll be fine," Kate told Jo, and Jo had enough presence of mind to notice the way Kate had pitched her voice into the soothing someone on the edge of hysteria tone he'd heard her use dozens of times. She scowled, trying to undo the buttons on her coat. "It's an elevator, not—"
"A dangling deathtrap about to double as a dual casket?" Jo suggested, and Kate was surprised into a laugh. "Yeah, yeah, we're only a floor and a half up, we might survive that, right?"
"Jo," she said. "Look at me."
She glanced at Kate.
"I know. Irrational fears, et cetera. Save it, please Kate. I'm fully aware of how counterproductive it would be to panic."
"Just breathe, alright? I don't need you passing out on me."
"It's hot in here."
"It's not," she countered, but Jo was already peeling off her tightly fitted blazer.
"It is. Like the heat's cranked up," Jo replied, tossing the blazer to the floor.
"The power's out," Kate reminded her gently. She was glad the emergency lights had kicked on— she couldn't imagine how panicked Jo might be if they'd been stranded in the dark.
"Okay," Jo agreed absently, licking at her lower lip as she repeatedly crossed the small space. Jo's hands were clenching and unclenching at her sides. Kate watched and wondered what her boss would do if Kate took her hand or pulled her into her for a hug or told Jo to put her head on her when she finally sits down. "Yeah, you're right," Jo continued, sounding for all the world like she was trying to convince herself. "Irrational," she repeated.
"Just breathe," she said again. "Slow, deep breaths. It's just a power outage. There's no emergency.
As soon as—"
"Where's Josh?" she asked making Kate smile.
"Mark has him. Coz of our supposed to have happened drink tonight I asked for mark to bring him later so we didn't have to rush back. I got Steve to tell Mark what happened. Josh is fine. Everything's fine. He knows we're here, Steve and the team out there do too and they're working on getting a crew out. All we have to do is sit tight. Stop taking your clothes off," she added as Jo tugged her hoodie zip down and tossed it to the side. She untucked her shirt from her trousers, undid the top two buttons, and pulled it up over her head, leaving her in her gym tank top that she hadn't been bothered to change from the morning workout.
"I'm too hot," Jo moaned, pinching at the front of her tank top to make it loose but—thankfully (or unthankfully, there is an argument for that too come off too and for kate to enjoy this ) to Kate—making no effort to remove it. "I know you're right, of course you are, I just—" Jo waved a hand in the air. "I feel like I'm suffocating."
"Look at me," kate said as she made a conscious decision to reach out to grab Jo's arm. Jo stopped and looked at her. "You're not suffocating. We're here together, I'm right here, everything's fine."
She nodded, and Kate could see that Jo was making a concentrated effort to relax some of the tension in her body. Any other circumstance and Kate would have offered to help her. Jo let out a breath and rolled her shoulders again, but a moment later she had already resumed pacing. "I just need to let out some nervous energy, I think."
"Maybe it's time to consider decaf," Kate suggested to lighten the mood.
Jo casted her a sideways look, her lips quirking. "Not in this life," she smiled. "I need the caffeine to keep up amazing work in the office and my delightful interview technique."
"Is that what you call it?" she returned, giving Jo a skeptical look that made Kate and Jo laugh out loud.
"I'm hungry," Jo mumbles after a few moments. Kate hears her but can't quite believe what she just said.
"I'm sorry?"
"I'm starving."
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, barely. "You're not starving, you're looking to stress eat. I know you, remember?"
"Come on, you always have snacks in your bag."
"I carry snacks when I'm with Josh—"
"Okay, gum, then. Please, I need something."
She hesitated. "All I have are pills for my head and…some edibles."
It took a few seconds for the words to find their way through her brain's buzz of white noise. Her steps faltered and Jo paused in her pacing, turning to look at her. "What?" Jo asked, putting a sharp emphasis on the t.
She reached into her purse and pulled out an unmarked plastic baggie of gummy bears. "I got them given them to me because the person said I looked stressed. They are lucky I don't have the energy to make new friends."
Jo Davidson looked from the bag to her face. "Weed gummies?" She said once more and Kate laughed at the combination of incredulity in her expression and disdain in Jo's voice.
"I couldn't leave them lying around near work or my car and I obviously don't want them anywhere near
Josh, so I was trying to figure out the best—"
"Weed gummies," Jo repeated, staring at her as though she'd lost her mind.
She sighed. "Actually, maybe you should eat some. Since you're starving. Maybe they'll calm you down."
"Pot makes me paranoid," Jo responded.
Kate laughed, though not unkindly. "Boss, you're already paranoid," she answered. "And anyway, how long has it been since you tried—"
"Never."
"What?"
"No, I never did," he said with a small shake of his head.
"You just said—"
"Nope. I was scared of work finding out. If... they did. I was gone. Zero questions. Oh and don't get me started on what anti corruption would do."
Kate laughed again. "Are you serious? You're telling me that in all of high school and college, or uni, you never once smoked pot because you were afraid that you wouldn't have been a cop. That's some dedication to the force boss-"
"This is not an irrational fear,"
she cut in. Jo's expression was full of earnest intensity.
"It's not like, you know," Kate replied said, gesturing with a hand as Jo glanced around the elevator and grimaced.
"Someone would know. They would've smelled it from two hundred miles, believe me."
Kate resisted the urge to laugh only because she could see that Jo was doing everything that she could to deal with what she knew was an irrational sense of panic trying to claw its way through around Jo. "Okay, well, nobody is here now, and the power's off which means the camera's not working. And it's not like you're going to get too stoned off one or two, Jo... look, at most you'll feel a buzz.
They'll lighten your mood a bit, take the edge off until we can get out of here."
"Are you offering me drugs, DI Fleming?" she asked before cracking a very small but genuine smile.
Kate laughed again. "See, it's already helping," she said, glad that Jo was able to cling to her sense of humor. "Come on, look, sit down, alright? We'll sit, we'll relax. Trust me."
Jo searched her face. She could feel the nervousness radiating from her as she fought the annoying urge to fidget, to walk, to jab at the elevator buttons or pound on the door.
"Well you are the only person I do trust so," Jo whispered, managing a small smile.
"Sit," she ordered and Jo looked at her before Kate swung her bag down to the floor with Jo's belongings. Jo lowered herself to the floor and looked at Kate. She sat beside her with their shoulders and arms touching. "God, you're shaking," she said. "You really are freaking out."
"I feel like I'm gonna jump out of my skin," Jo admitted, looking at her with open vulnerability. "I know it's stupid but I can't…"
"I've just never seen you like this," she said, and it was true. She'd seen Jo afraid, and under stress, but never at this level. Even death threats and AC12 hadn't affected her like this. "It's okay, I'm right here with you. Here, eat a couple of these, really." Kate handed her the bag, and Jo looked at it in her hand as though it might bite her.
"You don't look stressed," Jo smiled said as she eyed the gummies before she glanced at Kate. "For the record."
"Sure I do, but thanks." She bumped her fist against her shoulder. "Your arm still sore from yesterday?" She asks and Jo just looks at her.
"I don't really care about it now, I just want out of this box." Jo responded and Kate placed her hand softly on the bruised skin. She ran her hand down her arm again before letting go.
"We'll be out of here in no time."
"Yeah," Jo agreed a little more confidently, pulling open the bag. She popped a bear into her mouth and chewed with a grimace.
"So, I was thinking we could go to the zoo next weekend, if you want?" she said. "Maybe Sunday afternoon before Josh goes back to Mark and we could go to dinner after."
"Sure," Jo answered, already chewing a second gummy bear. "I have to go sho—" She broke off as her phone buzzed in her tight trouser pocket, and she shifted a hip, fishing out the phone. She looked at the screen and her eyes widened in alarm. She made a small sound in her throat and tossed the phone into Kate's lap.
"What the—"
"I told you," she said. "Oh, God. This is your fault. Help."
She lifted the phone and saw Sup. Buckells on the screen. She almost laughed, but she could sense Jo's distress. "It's a coincidence. For crying out loud Jo, here, answer it. I'm right here, nothing bad will happen, I promise," Kate said, holding out the phone.
Jo took it with trembling fingers, still holding the bag of candy in his other hand. She swallowed as she answered the phone, and then she closed her eyes. "Hello, Sir," Jo said cautiously. "What? Nothing. Why?"
Kate put a hand on her arm. "Breathe," she whispered, because she sounded defensive and agitated.
She pulled in a breath. "Nothing's wrong, sir I'm fine—"
Kate snatched the phone out of her hand. "Hello, Sir? It's Kate," she said, cutting off the rant of almost concern by Buckells "No, too much coffee, I think." she said. Beside her, Jo leaned her head back against the wall with an audible thunk. Kate listened for a few seconds "Well, I try." She glanced at Jo as she shoved several gummy bears into her mouth and chewed with unnecessary force. "Alright, I'll tell her. Here, just a second."
She held the phone near Jo's mouth. "Say you'll speak to him later," she murmured under her breath.
Jo stored the chewed candy in her cheek and gave Kate the look of a cornered rabbit. "I will get some rest and then call you, Sir" she said.
Kate returned the phone to her own ear. "Yeah, I'll look after her sir." She ended the call and turned her head to look at Jo. "Jo you fully are scared off him. Buckells isn't going to do anything to you. He... is like a child."
"It's not him though, Kate. It's AC. Buckells talks. He's a good talker. I love working on the force and recently a lot of people have wanted me gone." She said looking at her. She swallowed her mouthful of gummy candy. "Don't think I won't tell him you gave it to me."
"I know you're under a lot of stress right now, so we can revisit this later when you're in better shape."
"What did he say?"
"You have a meeting tomorrow to go over the investigation. You also need to call him when you feel better."
Jo made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a groan. "Buckells' is going to know. He said I sounded funny."
"You did," Kate said. "You sounded like she caught you in the middle of—"
"Careful," Jo cut in, and she laughed.
"Buying a sex toy," she suggested before laughing. "But Buckells doesn't know anything—there's nothing to know. You'd literally just put the damned thing in your mouth."
Suddenly Jo grinned. "You were great, though. Lot of experience?"
She rolled her eyes. "We can discuss the mistakes of youth later. You do seem to be feeling a little better, though, huh?"
Jo sighed. "I'm just glad you're here," she answered. "Thank you." She quickly responded to herself.
Kate just smiled. "I'm always here, you know that," she said.
"Yeah."
Kate leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. She smiled before reaching to settle her hand on Jo's. "Let me know when you start to see pink elephants," she said with a smile.
Jo laughed and covered Kate's hand with her own. "And you'll protect me from them?"
"Of course. But they're usually friendly," she answered without opening her eyes. She heard the rustle of plastic, but Jo didn't take her hand from Kate. They lapsed into near-silence. She could feel Jo relaxing, and she was glad.
After a couple of minutes, Jo said, "You're right, it's not very warm in here."
She smiled and opened her eyes, turning her head to look at him. "I was really hoping you wouldn't take your pants off."
"Yeah?"
"Didn't want anyone to think I was taking advantage. When the doors open." Jo grinned at her.
She looked down at the empty bag in his hand. "You ate all of them?" she asked, more amused than alarmed.
Jo also looked at the bag. "Shit," she said. "Am I gonna die?"
Kate laughed, turning her hand over to lace her fingers with Jo's. "Don't worry, I'll tell Buckells it was an accident."
"Thanks."
"Feel anything?"
"I have no idea." Jo smiled, watching her laugh. "Hey, Kate, don't tell Josh I freaked out about being stuck in an elevator?"
Kate raised her eyebrows. "He's who you're worried about? Not the team or Buckells?"
Jo made a face. "Eh, I can handle them. As for Buckells, he won't care as long as we don't mention the gummies. I just don't want Josh to—"
"Know you're human?" Kate asked.
Jo just smiled again. "Exactly."
"He loves you," she said, squeezing her hand. "You being afraid of something won't change the way he sees you."
"No? What about you?" Jo asked she was still smiling as she searched Kate's face. "You beginning to doubt all that… strong woman persona I normally give off?"
Kate looked and smiled at Jo. "You hitting on me, Detective Chief Inspector Jo Davidson?"
"Badly," Jo laughed. Kate was glad to see the twinkle of humor in her eyes, and to know that she'd gotten her fear under control.
"Hmm. What was in those gummy bears?" Jo laughed again, rubbing her thumb against Kate's wrist. "Sugar and gelatin and little-to-no THC, I'm guessing."
"Only two of them," she said.
"The green ones. They're low dose but you're probably still going to feel it in a bit."
"I hope you never leave me unsupervised with a whole bag of pot candy. You know I have no willpower. I have a very sweet tooth." Jo said.
She smiled at her. "I wouldn't. Although I didn't know you've never tried it. God, you should've seen the panic in your eyes when Buckells—"
Jo leaned in and kissed her; the pressure of her lips was light, but Kate could feel the emotion behind the kiss. She tightened her grip on Jo's fingers, as Jo raised her other hand to Kate's cheek. Jo drew a breath through her nose and rested her forehead against Kate's for a few seconds before drawing back to look at her. "Thank you," she said with a shiver. "For…always being what I need."
"You're cold, aren't you?" Kate asked.
"Freezing," Jo laughed. They both looked up as the lights flickered and then brightened. "Oh, God. Did you see that or is it the drugs kicking in?" They heard the hum of returning power and looked at each other.
"Looks like I'll be lucky enough to be stoned for the first time outside of this elevator," Jo frowned. "It hasn't been an hour, has it?"
"No. Maybe Steve got them to hurry." Kate replied and Jo sighed.
She snorted. "Buckells got them to do it. He has friends. If the power's on, why aren't we moving?"
"We are," Kate said. A moment later, the lift announcement of ground floor came on and the doors opened with a whoosh.
"Oh. Shit," Jo said, and Kate laughed at the look on Jo's face.
"You'll be fine. Come on."
"Thanks for doing this." Kate said, closing the door behind the father of her son. She turned to look at Jo.
"Can I use your shower? I swear I still have some clothes here."
"I mean you do but also do you think could you relax? I promise you don't smell like pot," she whispered.
"Of course you'd say that, you're my dealer," Jo shot back with a grin.
Kate laughed and rolled her eyes. "Go, then. I'll start some tea. You probably are hungry, now."
Jo saw Josh and decided to go see him before her shower. "Where were you guys?" the boy asked.
"We were stuck in the lift for seven hours," Jo said.
"Really?" The boy asked, his eyes widening.
"No, not really," Kate said. "We were stuck in the lift when the power went off, but it was less than an hour."
"Were you scared?" Josh asked, looking from his mum to Jo.
"Terrified," Jo said. "Luckily your mum was there to keep me calm. She's a lot braver than I am," Jo added, shooting Kate a crooked smile.
"Can I stay the night with Matthew?" Josh asked, evidently unconcerned by their ordeal.
"That sounds like fun," Kate said, and Jo almost laughed at her eagerness. "Did he ask his parents?"
"Yeah but we were just waiting for you to get home. Dad wouldn't let me call and ask." the boy said and Jo almost shivered. What father wouldn't let his child phone his mother? Hers probably. That realisation did make her shiver and Kate rested a supportive hand on her shoulder.
"Okay. Go get your stuff ready and I'll walk you over." Kate said. She ran her hand over Jo's shoulder again.
"Okay," Josh agreed. He turned toward his bedroom and hesitated, looking back at Jo. "See you soon Jo," the little boy came back and gave her a small hug.
"Bye, buddy." Jo said with a smile. He leaves once again and Jo turns to Kate, who still had her hand on Jo's shoulder.
"Take your shower, but promise you won't do anything—for God's sake don't even think about leaving the apartment—until I get back. If you start to freak out, just sit down somewhere and wait, I'll be right back. Okay?" Kate said with a worried smile.
"Yes."
"Promise." Kate said. Jo got up and walked over and pulled her into a hug.
"I promise." Jo said and Kate nodded. When Kate lifted from her Jo took a breath and smiled. "About earlier... the kiss..." she trails off as Kate leans into her and presses a small kiss to her lips.
"It was incredible Jo and I want more of them. Stay tonight." Kate said and Jo nodded. Jo looked down the hallway to see the door to Josh's room shut. She placed a longer kiss onto Kate's lips before pulling back smiling.
"Don't be too long." Jo whispered.
"Shall we just get a takeaway tonight?" Kate asked and Jo smiled. Her eyes lit up and Kate couldn't help but smile.
"Can we get pizza?" Jo asked and Kate smiled.
Kate placed a kiss on her lips before pulling back from her with a look of desire. "Sounds great. Don't do anything stupid whilst I'm gone."
"I won't. I promise." Jo said and Kate moved away from Jo and walked down the hallway to see her son.
Jo took the wrapper from her pocket and looked down. "Thank you gummies." She whispered before hiding the plastic and walking to the shower.