Bring me home in a blinding dream, through the secrets that I have seen. Wash the sorrow from off my skin, and show me how to be whole again. LINKIN PARK
So, the Storm kept me awake last night and the result was this chapter. Personally I see Kate and Steve as no more than friends, best friends maybe. I've tried to convey that here. I think in many ways all they have is each other. Catastrophising and angst, not sure how in character this is for Steve but it was fun to write. There has been so little development of the Kate/Steve friendship dynamic this series that I wanted to get something in. Lots of 'mate' too.
Hope you enjoy :)
Steve's phone buzzed, Kate. An address. An industrial park on the outskirts of the city. Crap, crap, crap. The blaring alarm bells ringing in his head spurred him to action. There was no way this was some post work meet-up between friends. There were more sinister plans at play and Kate was walking into the middle of it. And thanks to Carmichael pulling surveillance she was all alone. Fuck. Not Kate, he couldn't let anything happen to Kate. They needed to go now, while there was still time, hopefully still time.
Steve burst into the office, "Gaffer, Kate sent an address." Ted just nodded as he sprang up, immediately relaying orders to dispatch AFOs to Kate's location. A sense of urgency hung heavy in the air, this was Kate and she was in danger. She could already be dead. Carmichael just stood in the office as the AC12 team sprang to life around her, her suggestions to slow down and wait fell on deaf ears.
"That's one of my officers out there, I'll breathe when she's safe." Steve quickly followed Ted in barging past Carmichael, there wasn't time for her pen-pushing bureaucracy. They could deal with that later when Kate was safe. If they got her back safe.
The next minutes passed in a blur, the AC12 teams readied themselves for urgent deployment. Only this time it wasn't just a suspect they were going to arrest, or a witness that needed protecting and moving to a safehouse. This was Kate, one of their own, his best friend, and Steve had no idea what they'd find. She could already be dead.
Sirens wailed as the cars sped through the city. Faster, please. We need to get there. Every drawn out minute, every second, Steve heart hammered in his chest, anxiety building, Kate was out there alone. She could already be dead. Countless scenarios whirled through his mind, each with equally terrifying outcomes. All the operational training in the world couldn't prepare him for this or calm his nerves. Kate was in danger. She could be hurt. Or worse. Usually clear and level headed it was taking all Steve's strength to maintain a calm facade. Inside he was screaming. For not knowing what he was going to find. His best friend had most likely walked into an OCG trap and she was on her fucking own. She could already be dead.
The car skidded to a stop, flashing blue lights illuminated crumbled graffitied walls.
"She's hurt", came a voice from amongst the chaos. Steve's heart dropped. "Who's hurt?" he asked, already knowing the answer, but wishing it would be different. "Kate." Kate, her name hung heavy in the air and all Steve could think of in that moment was that he had to go to her. He didn't care that the scene hadn't been declared safe, or that there may still be weapons present. This was Kate and she was in trouble. Fuck it was Kate, his best friend needed him and he was not going to stand and wait, what if she was really hurt, or worse. Steve found himself barging past the AFO's, ignoring the shouts of caution that followed him.
"Oh, Kate," Steve couldn't help but gasp at the sight of his friend, lying barely conscious and severely wounded in some desolate Lorry Park. "I've got this, move over now," he demanded, kneeling beside Kate and ushering a trembling Jo out of the way. "I called an ambulance," Jo stuttered from behind him, "they should be here soon." The voice was barely recognisable as that of the fierce and steely DCI Davidson AC12 had interviewed days before, she sounded broken. Steve kept his eyes on Kate, whispering a silent prayer of thanks that help was already on the way, even if it had been called by the person who was the reason Kate was in this situation in the first place. He didn't care what happened to Jo right now he decided, there would be time to deal with her later. Right now, his only concern was Kate. He had to help Kate.
He gingerly lifted Jo's jacket from Kate's stomach. Both it and her jumper underneath were soaked with blood. Fuck. He quickly scrunched up his own jacket, pressing it back against the bullet hole, just visible in the flashing blue lights. Kate whimpered, and writhed slightly at the further pain. "It's gonna be alright mate," Steve whispered, "you just stay with me, okay". Through the far-off chatter of the city traffic came the rumbling of an Ambulance siren. Growing louder. Getting closer. Please hurry. Please save her.
"You hear that mate?" Steve declared, "help is coming, you're gonna be okay." Clouded, unfocused eyes met his, "n-no... b-bets just y-yet." came Kate's strained reply as her eyes threatened to close.
No. Fuck, please no. Steve felt like he'd been smacked in the chest. No. He wasn't going to let Kate die, he wasn't going to let her give up. Not now. Not like this. "Shush," Steve ordered, trying to hide his fear. Tears prickled at his eyes and he took a shaking gulp of breath to steady himself and fight back the sobs. "Don't talk now, just stay with me alright mate. Stay with me." With one arm still holding his now blood-soaked jacket against Kate's stomach, he took hold of her hand with the other. Clasping it tightly, fingers interlocked. "Don't you dare give up on me" he demanded. "I'm not going to let you go mate, you got that." Tears streamed down Steve's cheeks, but he didn't care, he didn't care who saw him cry now. This was Kate, his best friend, one of the very few people who had always been there for him in recent years. Now was his turn to be there for her. "You hear me mate, just hang on okay, just stay with me I think you owe me that much. You do not get to give up on me now okay. Please Kate, please. Just stay with me mate." Steve's voice broke and he could no longer hold in the shaking sobs.