Jackie got into her car and took a deep breath. The therapy sessions took a lot out of her, but she knew she was feeling the better for it. With that thought in mind, she started her car and drove away.

If anyone had told her that she'd one day attend therapy, she might not have believed them. Growing up, it was never an option; she had learned a long time ago that when something went wrong, you just had to carry on and get over it. A lesson that she wasn't sure she'd ever been fully on board with.

Putting it all behind you was always easier said than done.

But now things were different; her world was different. It didn't take long for her to realise that she couldn't talk to Michael about everything she was dealing with. It would be unfair to put that burden on him. There were also some things that he couldn't know just yet, and Jackie wasn't in the mood to complicate her life even further.

Talking to other people hadn't sounded appealing either. There was a police doctor she could have gone to, but that just wasn't an option. Admitting that she felt overwhelmed due to separating from her husband while harbouring feelings for her boss was a sure way to kill her career. And right now, her job was one of the only things going for her; she wanted to keep it.

So that had made her consider therapy. She could remember the apprehension she'd felt approaching that first session, but that had gone away by the time it was over. There had been no judgement, she had felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

Each session gave her a lot to think about afterwards, and that's what she pondered when she came home.

She hanged up her jacket and put away her keys before she settled onto the couch. The sessions had given her the confidence to make some important decisions. One was that she was now considering telling people about the separation. While she didn't want to have some big announcement, she could be more open about it.

There were also long-term plans to consider too. Settling back into her flat had been more difficult than she had anticipated. Everywhere she looked had some memory attached to it, some of those she'd rather forget.

What she hadn't imagined was half-expecting Brian to walk through the door every so often. It wasn't so much that she missed him, though she supposed, in her own way she did. It just felt wrong living here without him.

Which was why she wanted to move. It wasn't something she would do just yet, but a new place would mark a new fresh start for her. One that was very much needed.

She stared at her rings; she'd considered removing them for some time now. It would be the first step of moving on and that was a little scary.

Memories of her engagement flooded her mind. It had been planned, Brian's proposal hadn't been a surprise and she'd even helped him pick out a ring.

Which had made his planning of the wedding all the more surprising. Looking back, she wondered if it had been another sign that they would never work out.

She fidgeted with her wedding ring as she toyed with the idea of taking it off. They had been separated for weeks now, maybe it was still too soon. Jackie shook her head, their relationship was dead, she could no longer pretend to the world that they were fine.

Removing her engagement ring proved to be easy, but she paused momentarily as her fingers went to her wedding ring.

A pang of regret hit her for all that had happened, she could only hope that things would be better for the two of them now that they weren't together.

She slowly removed the ring from her finger and placed it beside her engagement ring on the coffee table.

The reality of what she had done sunk in, the finality of it all; her marriage really was over. Surprisingly, it didn't feel as bad as she thought it would. It wasn't that she felt great, but it felt right.

How long would it take for the others to notice?

As it turned out, not long that all.

The next morning, she entered Michael's office to discuss a case, just as she was about to turn and leave, she caught his stare.

"What?" she asked.

"You're not wearing your wedding ring."

"There's not really any point anymore."

A sympathetic look crossed his face. "I'm sorry."

She shrugged, "Don't be." She continued, "I'd be lying if I said I felt fantastic, but it's for the best."

Michael nodded, "You know I'm here if you want to talk."

"I know," she smiled. "You've already been so good to me, but I'll bear that in mind."

"Be sure that you do," he returned the smile.

"Well, I've got some work to do," she said after a moment, breaking the slight tension in the office. "Let's see if anyone else notices."

"What will you say if someone asks?"

"The truth," she noticed the slight surprise on Michael's face. "I won't make a big deal about it, but I won't hide it anymore either."

"I'm sure it won't be too bad. A lot of people here care about you."

Jackie nodded, unsure of what to say. "I'll see you later."

She turned to go when Michael called her back. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

"What?"

"It's just…I'm proud of you."

Jackie smiled and Michael was sure that the sight made his heartbeat go just that wee bit faster.

"Thank you." She was still smiling as she left his office.

There was only one other person who noticed that day.

Stuart had joined Jackie in the canteen, neither wanting to venture out into the rain. They had been having a nice little chat when Stuart suddenly stared at her.

Jackie took a breath, knowing what was coming.

"Is everything all right?" he asked.

"They could be better," she admitted. "I've split up with Brian."

"Oh, Jackie! I'm so sorry."

"Thanks."

"What happened?"

Jackie chose her next words carefully, not wanting to give too much away. "A few things. I suppose the simple version is that Brian got offered a permanent position in London. I wasn't too keen on moving but Brian was. In the end, I decided it was best for us both if he left."

"How long ago was that?"

"Over a month ago. In a little while I'll start divorce proceedings."

"Things are that bad?" he asked, not quite believing her news.

She nodded. "Even if London wasn't an issue, I don't think it would have worked out anyway. I just wish it hadn't taken so long for me to realise it." Her eyes focused on the table as she frowned slightly.

Stuart took her hand. "I'm here for you. Anytime."

She squeezed his hand. "Thanks," she said, touched by his support.

A reassuring smile touched his face before he broke away. "Does anyone else know?"

"Just Michael. Until recently, the idea of telling other people overwhelmed me, hence the silence," she confessed.

"I suppose you're sick of talking about it then."

In a way she was. Having talked to Michael and her therapist over the issue, she felt that she had already exhausted the topic enough.

"Maybe a little," she smiled a little sheepishly.

"We don't have to talk about it, but if you want, we could do something later. It might take your mind off things."

Jackie smiled brightly, "I think that sounds like a very good idea."

As they continued to eat their lunch, Jackie's spirits lifted, thankful for her friendship with Stuart.

While it took Michael and Stuart less than a day to notice the lack of rings, the same could not be said for Robbie.

It had been two weeks since she had removed the rings and there was still no acknowledgement from him. She wasn't quite sure why she hadn't told him, it just seemed easier for him to figure it out for himself.

In the end he heard it from Stuart.

The team were in the bullpen towards the end of the day, everyone was just about ready to head home. Jackie was the first to leave, all too happy to have a quiet night to herself.

"She's handling everything well," Stuart commented once she was out of earshot, while Michael nodded absentmindedly.

"What do you mean?" Robbie asked, his attention now on Stuart.

Stuart's brow furrowed until he realised that Robbie had no idea what he was talking about. "You don't know?"

"Know what, Stuart?" Robbie sounded mildly exasperated.

"Jackie and Brian have separated."

"Are you serious?" Robbie said in disbelief.

Michael who had been listening, cut in. "She removed her wedding ring a couple of weeks ago. You really didn't notice?"

Robbie shook his head.

"Sometimes I wonder how you made it to DI," Michael said drily.

But Robbie wasn't in the mood for jokes.

"Why?" he asked.

"I think you'd best ask Jackie that yourself," Michael said. His eyes met Stuart's who nodded in agreement.

Michael stared at Robbie and noticed his hurt that being left out. "Look, don't take it personally. She's been finding it hard to talk about."

But Robbie couldn't help but take it personally. "I suppose she told you," he said to Michael.

"She did," he answered. "Robbie I'm not the person you should be talking to about this." His tone was almost sympathetic yet managed to indicate that he was not willing to discuss the matter further. He turned and went into his office.

"If it's any consolation, I haven't really talked about it with Jackie either. I just noticed the rings were gone and she told me. I've just tried to help take her mind off things," Stuart explained.

Somehow, that didn't make Robbie feel any better.

"I'm calling it a night," Robbie said finally. "See you tomorrow." He left the bullpen before Stuart had the chance to reply.

It took Robbie a little longer than he hoped before the opportunity arose to talk to Jackie.

They were on their way to talk to a suspect and Robbie cautiously bided his time before he brought the subject up.

"So, when were you going to tell me about you and Brian?"

Her response wasn't immediate. "I removed my—"

"Aye, I've heard that."

Jackie looked anywhere but him. "I suppose it's not something I've wanted to talk about too much."

"Do you know what really gets me?" he asked after a moment.

Jackie looked at him. "What?"

"I had to hear it from Stuart and not you."

Jackie had the grace to look guilty, she was however, at a loss for words.

Robbie sighed, "I just thought our friendship was worth more than that."

"It is," she said, with hurt in her voice.

They were silent until they reached the front door of the suspect. "Let's see what this guy has to say for himself."

Jackie's face fell. The chance to resolve matters gone, she found herself out of sorts throughout the rest of the day.

Although the case still wasn't solved, Jackie was glad the day was all but over. If only to try to sort things out with Robbie.

They had barely spoken throughout the day, and she had sensed, rather than saw outright, the looks of concern from Michael and Stuart. The last thing she had wanted was to hurt Robbie, the idea that she had horrified her.

She stared at him as he switched his computer off. "Long day, eh?"

He looked at her properly for the first time in hours, he silently nodded in reply.

"I'm sorry, Robbie. I didn't mean for you to find out that way." She took a breath, "Talking about it to Michael took a lot out of me."

And her therapist, she silently added. But nobody needed to know about that.

She continued, "I just didn't want to have to repeat myself constantly. I know that's not a great excuse. If there's anything I can do…"

Robbie pretended to look thoughtful, "Well…you could always do my paperwork for the next month."

Jackie mockingly glared at him. "I think that's pushing it."

Robbie chuckled. "Alright, you're forgiven…on one condition."

"And what's that?" she asked with a hint of a smile on her lips.

"You take me out for a drink tonight."

"I think I can manage that," she smiled.

"Of course you can," he smirked. Robbie watched as she switched off her computer. "Jackie," he said soberly.

She looked at him expectantly.

"Unlike the others, I know what it's like. I know how it feels to go through a divorce. While I'm sure your reasons are different, that doesn't mean that I can't help you."

Jackie nodded, "I'll bear that in mind."

"You won't have to do that tonight, because I'm going to give you my own advice on how to survive a divorce," he smiled.

"This should be interesting," she smirked.

"Hey, if more people followed my advice, the world would be a much happier place."

Jackie laughed. "Well now I have to hear this."

They walked in step as they made their way out of the bullpen. Just as they were about to reach the door, she turned to face him.

"Thanks, Robbie," she said softly.

"Anytime," he smiled.

They both left the station happy that things were good between them again.

Days later, their case finally solved, Jackie found herself at home with little to do. She was now more determined to get rid of this place. While she didn't relish the thought of having to organise a move, she'd be glad when it was all taken care of.

Her thoughts were broken by the sound of the doorbell. A smile lit up her face as she opened the door to find Michael. "Come in," she said.

"I thought I'd see how you were," he said when they entered the living room. "It's been a busy few days, we haven't had much chance to talk."

"I'm okay thanks," she said brightly. Jackie regarded him for a moment as he took in his surroundings, it had been a while since he'd last been here. Not since…

She noticed his eyes went to the spot where he had been shot. There was no hint that anything horrific had happened months before, but neither would ever forget that day.

"Stuart did a good job cleaning the place, but there was a couple of spots he couldn't get out. So we just replaced the flooring," she explained.

Michael nodded, his hands in his pocket.

"If this is too uncomfortable for you, we can—"

"I'm fine, just feels a bit strange. I'll get used to it."

"Okay," she said quietly. "Can I get you anything?"

"Some tea would be nice."

"Sure. Just make yourself at home," she smiled.

"Thanks," he said before she went into the kitchen.

Michael sat on the couch and sighed wearily. It had been a long day and while he had come to make sure she was okay; he couldn't deny that he was here for his benefit too.

A piece of paper caught his eye on the coffee table, or rather the logo did. A closer inspection made him find the word "clinic".

What the hell does Jackie want with a clinic? He wondered.

Then he saw the word "therapy" and it made more sense.

Michael took a deep breath, "Therapy," he muttered as he sat further back on the couch, distancing himself from the letter.

But he was too late.

"Did anyone ever tell you not to look through people's mail?"

Michael nearly jumped through his skin; he hadn't heard her come in.

"Well?" she crossed her arms.

"I'm sorry…I just saw the logo…I didn't mean…I'm sorry Jackie."

She sighed; she should have remembered to put the letter away.

"I forgive you, just don't make a habit of it, okay?"

"I won't," he promised.

The sound of the kettle interrupted the momentary silence. Jackie was glad of the reprieve, as it allowed her to get her thoughts together. Michael would have questions and she didn't want to share too much.

Thankfully, they weren't immediate, in fact the silence was nice. But all too soon it was over.

"So, are you really okay?" he finally asked.

"I'm doing better, and part of that is because of the therapy."

"You know we have someone at the station that could have helped."

Jackie scoffed, "Oh, come on Michael. You know as well as I do that people who go there usually end up on desk duty or take a long leave of absence that they rarely get back from."

She was right, of course. "I'm sorry," he said. "You could have come to me."

And that would be the only reason why he might be bothered about this, she guessed. Oh, she knew he wouldn't have judged her for it, but she knew he'd want to be there for her as much as he could.

Jackie considered her words, not wanting to hurt him. "You've been great, I'm not sure how I would have managed without you."

"But?"

She took a breath, "There's some things you don't know, things that I can't tell you right now." Michael opened his mouth to protest but she continued. "It's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just that things are too messy right now."

Michael looked unconvinced.

"Look, London isn't the only reason I left Brian," she admitted. "There's another big reason why our relationship is over. And when the dust is settled, I'll tell you all about it. Just give me some time…please."

Michael nodded, "Alright." He took a sip of his tea, not taking his eyes off Jackie.

"Thanks."

"I just want you to be happy."

"I know you do. And while it's a long road, hopefully by the time I reach the end I will be."

The conversation went on to other things before a companionable silence befell them. The quietness made her reflect on her recent decisions and one in particular. Not of all of them were to do with Brian or the flat.

This decision was about Michael. The shooting had opened her eyes to many things, but it was the acknowledgement of her feelings for Michael that had been the biggest one.

Without a doubt, if there was a love of her life, it was him. Not Brian, but Michael, the man she had worked so closely with for over twelve years. The man who had become the most important person in her life.

So, she decided, once her divorce was finalised, she would finally admit her love for him. The idea absolutely terrified her, but she could no longer repress her feelings.

But that had also led her to another decision. If Michael didn't feel the same, then she'd have to walk away. It would be the only way she would be able to move on from him; she just couldn't do that when he was a constant presence in her life.

But until then she was going to focus on their friendship because at some point their relationship would change.

She just hoped that whatever happened would be for the best.

A/N: It might be a little while before my next update. The good news is that it's because I'm working on some stories for Tropetember (a fanfiction event hosted on Tumblr. And they're all Taggart related.

But I definitely don't want to go another five months without updating this, so it shouldn't be too long a wait.