Cheryl had put a call into Rae just after Jesse left to let her know that there was no reason she could see which would stop them from working over night in the docks. Rae hadn't been sure if she was happy or sad about it.
"I cannot believe I am driving around the docks at two in the morning hoping that somebody wants a cup of coffee. I never had to do this in London."
"Hey, you were the one who wanted to come home. You could still be in London doing exciting things like watching the trooping of the colour, or wandering around the Tower of London. Or standing about in the rain for hours on end. Did you do those things?"
"Yeah, I did actually. I went up on the London Eye, and watched the view, which was wonderful; I went to Stratford upon Avon and the New Globe theatre on the Thames. Great. I had a great time, but I got wet, a lot! And now I am sitting in a refreshment truck driving around the docks of LA in the dead of night, and you know what?"
"You love it?" Rae smiled at her.
"I LOVE IT!" Cheryl smiled back and then they both began to laugh. As they drove the seeds of a strong and lasting friendship were sown, and by the time they got to the place where they parked near Martin's warehouse, neither of them minded being out in the middle of the night.
It was half past three before they saw Martin. He walked over for a coffee, and left a piece of paper on the counter. Rae picked it up and moved into the body of the van. She unfolded it and then nodded in his direction. He picked up his drink and a candy bar and headed back to his warehouse.
"What did the note say?" Cheryl looked over at Rae. She handed it to her and Cheryl began to read. The guys made contact with me at eleven last night. They came back at three. They were only with me for ten minutes. I said I was in. I had no problem with what they wanted me to do. I hope I didn't agree too quickly. Martin. "I think he did the right thing. I think you would only want time to think about it if you were gonna say no."
"Yeah, I suppose so. I wonder how Steve will get on. He's supposed to be meeting with these guys at four." Rae looked worried. There was nothing she could do, but suddenly she was very concerned.
Steve walked slowly down a dimly lit part of the docks. It was the bit of his round that he hated the most. There was no other way to go, but he really wished that there was some extra lighting, just on this part of his journey. Suddenly one of the men from the previous night was standing in front of him.
"Well, Mr. Rogers, how nice to see you again. I seem to recall you had a decision to make."
Steve turned slightly and wasn't surprised to see another man standing behind him.
"Mr. Rogers, and how is it in your neighborhood tonight?"
"Same as every night." Steve watched keenly as the two men began to move closer.
"So, have you made your decision? Your time is up now."
"I'm not interested in what you said." Steve moved over to the left to try to walk pastone of the shadowy figures standing by him. His path was immediately blocked. He turned slightly and saw that he had no place left to go. Steve felt his heart begin to pound, as he realised that he had no way to let anybody know that he was in trouble. He had just got his thoughts processed when he felt a fist hit him in the lower back and he fell to his knees. He struggled to his feet trying to keep his eyes on both of his assailants, but he knew he was beaten before he even started to fight back. He felt his fist make contact with the side of one of the men's faces, but then he doubled over as he received a blow to the stomach. One of the men chopped him on the back of the neck and he fell to the ground, and began to concentrate on protecting himself from the blows that began to rain in on his body.
Suddenly he felt himself being lifted off the floor by the front of his jacket. "Mr. Rogers, you made the wrong decision. I would suggest that you reconsider, or otherwise, by the time you get back on the job you will need very good life insurance." With that the man let Steve fall to the ground, he felt agonising pain and then he saw a boot coming towards the side of his head.
"What time did you say Steve's meeting was?" Cheryl looked over at her friend and could see that Rae was as worried as she was.
"Four. And it's now what, just after five? He should have been here by now. I don't like this, I'm gonna take a little walk and see what I can find." Rae leant over and took her gun from the glove compartment and slid it into the back of her jeans.
"Keep in contact. Try not to blow your cover, but if necessary Steve comes first. But I guess you know that!" Cheryl handed a radio over to Rae and watched as she got out of the van.
Rae took the piece of paper out of her pocket that had the details of Steve's route on it and began to walk quickly along it. She had been walking for just about ten minutes when she came to a dark and isolated alleyway. Rae pulled a flashlight from her pocket and shone it in front of her. She switched her radio to the on position and began to move slowly forward.
Cheryl was finding it very difficult to keep still. She knew she couldn't go and get Martin, because it was imperative that he keep his cover, he was the key to this whole operation as far as she was concerned. She had just wiped down the counter for the third time when she heard her radio crackle into life. Through the static Rae's footsteps could be heard as she moved quickly along. They began to get faster and then Cheryl heard her speak.
"Oh, my God, Steve! Steve, can you hear me? Cheryl, call 911, now!" Cheryl heard a thud as the radio hit the ground, and then silence.
Jesse walked into the doctor's lounge and made himself a black coffee, he needed time to think but he hadn't stopped since he had got to work at ten the previous night. After he had left Steve he had gone straight home to bed. And even though sleep had eluded him for a while he had slowly dozed off and then slept right through until his alarm woke him.
It had been extremely busy since he arrived but now he had a break and he needed some time to himself. He had been deeply hurt by what they had both told him, Steve was his best friend, and Rae was the woman he had asked to marry him, but surprisingly he had believed her when she had said that she didn't love Steve like she loved him. He knew that both Rae and Steve were honourable people, but they had been pushed together in some very extreme circumstances over the last year. He hadn't helped either; he had abandoned Rae when she had really needed him.
He sat down and ran his fingers through his hair. I'm even imitating her now! He loved her, he knew that she loved him, and if he wanted to keep her by his side, which he did, then he was going to have to trust her that this was a freak occurrence and let it go. He felt much better for deciding this, and drained his coffee ready to return to work. As he ran the mug under the water to rinse it he heard his name and Alex's as they were called to the ER.
Rae rushed into the ER, following Steve's gurney. She couldn't take her eyes off her partner's battered and bloodied face. He had been unconscious when she had found him but he had come too, briefly, as she had held him close to her, talking to him, while she waited for the ambulance.
"Rae, what happened? Steve! Can you hear me, buddy?" Jesse looked down in horror at his friend. Somebody had really worked him over.
"He told the guys at the docks that he wasn't going to take bribes, that's what happened. Jesse, where's Mark?" Rae looked absolutely worn out and more worried than he could ever remember.
"At home." Jesse began to wheel Steve into a trauma suite.
Rae sat down on a chair in the hallway and watched as Alex came rushing up the hallway. She pointed towards trauma two and saw Alex stare at her before going in. She realised belatedly that he probably didn't even recognise her. Rae put a call through to Mark and then sat, her mind racing as she waited for news.
Mark had been dozing when the phone rang. He had just turned over for a few more minutes in the warm bed before he started an early shift and his mind wasn't really focused as he answered it. However, it had been brought sharply back to reality as he heard Rae's voice at the other end telling him that Steve had been attacked while he was on his stake out. She couldn't tell him how bad it was, but she did say that he had been unconscious for almost the entire time since she had found him.
He leapt out of bed and fumbled about trying to find some clothes quickly so that he wasted no time in getting to his son's side. Mark ran to his car, and headed out into the morning traffic. He switched on the radio, so that he could hear of any hold ups on the road and pushed his car to the speed limit for the whole journey.
The whole time he was driving along he kept thinking of all the times that Steve had been rushed into the hospital. He would never forget the time that Gordon Ganza had put a contract on Steve's life, or how lucky he had been when two crooks after Carol's husband had run him down with their car. He had no idea how serious it was this time, apart from the fact that it sounded like he had a concussion, and Rae had been worried, he could tell, and that worried him.
Rae shifted in her uncomfortable seat and her mind went back to when she had seen Steve lying in the alleyway. After she had shouted her instructions to Cheryl she had knelt by her partner's side and gently moved his head up out of the blood it was resting in. His face had been so badly beaten that she had had to fight back the nausea she felt as she had gently let the beam from her flashlight sweep over him. She had begun talking to him about anything and everything that came into her head. If somebody asked her now she would have no idea what she had said, but she just knew that she had to keep talking.
When the paramedics had arrived she had moved out of their way, and let them work. Steve had opened his eyes and looked at her while they sat in the dark. She had tried to get him to stay with her, but he had drifted back into unconsciousness almost immediately. The two men who began to treat him had supported his neck and spine and transferred him gently to a gurney. She supposed it was the same way she had been treated when she had been attacked, and she was relieved to see how tenderly they had dealt with him.
She was brought out of her meanderings by the ping of the elevator as the doors opened and Mark rushed out.
"Rae, honey, where is he, what happened?" Mark looked extremely agitated as he moved towards her; he had obviously rushed to the hospital. In spite of the situation she smiled at him. He was still wearing his slippers. He looked at her and could see blood on her clothes. "Are you all right?"
"What?" Rae looked down to where she could see Mark looking at her. "Yeah, I'm fine." She didn't want to say that it was Steve's blood all over her jeans. "We'll go to the doctor's lounge, and I'll tell you, ok? Jesse'll know where to come."
Rae handed Mark a coffee and then she sat down at the table and looked across at him. "He was attacked, Mark, on the docks. He told them he wasn't taking bribes tonight, I guess this was their answer."
"I told him to be careful!" Mark put his mug down heavily on the table and the coffee spilt out over the surface. He didn't seem to notice what he had done and just carried on talking. "He was alone, Rae, it wasn't safe. I told you I didn't think it was safe, but did you listen? No."
Rae put her hand over his and he stopped speaking. "Mark, I am so sorry about this, but you know he wouldn't have changed the way we were working this operation. It had to be done this way. There has to be something big going down on that dock, all the time, for them to be this concerned about getting people on their side."
Mark said nothing and the room became silent as they waited for Jesse. Rae dried the table and then put in a call to Cheryl and told her what had happened so far, Cheryl said that she would finish up and take the van back. Martin was going to get in touch with her later in the day.
Rae and Mark sat together in the doctor's lounge. Rae checked her watch it was just before seven in the morning. As she looked out through the blinds, she could see the hospital begin to come alive. The hallways, which had been deserted when she had first come in, now had people in them. She could see a janitor mopping the floor just in front of the elevator, his orange cones marking out his territory.
Where there had been silence, now the ring of a phone, or the call of an orderly or nurse occasionally broke the air. Rae leant in towards Mark and smiled a slow smile at him and he took her hand in his. He looked round and she saw him sniff the air. "I guess Steve will miss breakfast this morning."
"Mark, I don't know what to say."
"Wait until Jesse comes, Sweetie, once we find out how he is, then we'll know what to say to each other."
Rae just nodded and they descended back into silence.
It was almost two hours before Jesse came in to speak with Mark. Rae got up and went to leave the room, but Mark spoke up. "Rae, no, Sweetie, you stay, you need to hear this too."
She moved over to him and took his hand in hers and Jesse sat back against the table. "I've admitted him, Mark, he has a concussion, two broken ribs, and severe bruising over almost all his body, he's had a CT scan which was fine." Jesse stopped talking and they both looked at him.
"What, Jess, what else?" Rae could feel the panic coming up in her throat.
"Both his hands are broken. Badly broken. It looks to me like somebody crushed them."
"Oh, my. How could somebody do that? You were right, Mark, I shouldn't have let him work alone." Rae turned from both men. This case was just getting worse and worse.
"He's going to be very sore for a while, but he'll be all right with rest, and his hands will heal."
"Is he conscious, Jess?" Mark's voice was full of concern.
"He was, but I think he'll be asleep by the time you get there. Now I guess you want to go up and see him, huh?"
They both nodded. But then Rae put her hand on Mark's arm. "You go up, I need to put a call in to Texas first."
"Ok, I'll see you up there then?" He watched her nod and then Mark headed out towards the elevator.
Jo was sat out on the veranda in the mid morning sunlight writing a letter to Steve when David's butler Jonathon came out with a phone on a tray. Every time he did this she wanted to laugh. Michael was a very good butler, but he would never do that. If the phone rang he just handed her the receiver.
"Los Angeles on the telephone for you, Madam, Detective Reagan Yeager."
Jo's face split into a smile as she took the phone. "Rae, honey, how are you…? Oh my God… no, no I'll be there as soon as I can… Guess it helps to have your own plane, huh? You give him my love an' look after him until I get there, you hear…? Bye."
Jo had been walking off the veranda as she spoke and she put the phone down on a table as she raced through the house. "David, David!"
David Walters was a very tall, dark haired man. He heard his sister becoming very agitated and came rushing out into the hallway to see her checking in each room for him. "Honey, what is it? What's the matter?"
"I have to go back to Los Angeles. Somethin' has happened to Steve. He was attacked, Rae just called. David I need the jet back, please."
"Honey, it's yours, you know that, just take it, but this time, keep in touch, ok?"
She just nodded and rushed up the stairs. As she began to collect up her personal items she caught sight of a photo of her and Steve on the beach. She picked it up and put it in her purse. Twenty minutes later, she was in a car on her way to the airport.
Mark tried not to break into a run as he made his way to Steve's room. He just needed to see him to make sure that he was all right. He gasped as he opened the door and saw his son. Steve's face was so bruised, battered and swollen that it almost didn't look like him. He could see the strapping around his chest, and the livid bruising that as Jesse had said covered almost every visible part of him.
Mark sat quietly by the side of the bed and placed his own slightly shaky hand over his Son's, the plaster feeling cool beneath his palm.
Slowly Steve opened his eyes. He was aware of somebody sitting with him, and he knew who it would be. "Dad."
"Shhh, Steve, it's ok, Son. You just sleep; your body needs to rest. I'm not going anywhere, but I guess you know that."
Mark was rewarded with a small smile, and then Steve's eyes slowly shut and he began to sleep again.
Rae slumped down on the sofa in the doctor's lounge and ran her fingers through her hair. She looked at the scars on her hand, flexed her fingers and remembered how painful it had been, and her heart went out to Steve, both his hands had been broken, she knew that he would be off work for quite a while. She wasn't sure if she wanted to be there without him.
"Rae, honey, are you alright?" Jesse looked at her, she seemed to be withdrawing from him.
"What? Oh, Jess, I'm sorry. I'm just worried about Steve. I guess the boot is on the other foot isn't it?"
"Pardon?" Jesse had no idea what she was talking about.
"Well, ever since I've been here it seems that it has been me who ends up in here. God, I shouldn't have…"
"Shouldn't have what, Rae?" Jesse felt himself go immediately on the defensive. He couldn't believe how awkward they were with each other.
"I don't know, Jesse, I don't know what I was going to say. Look I'm going to go up and see Mark, then I'm going home, I need some sleep. I'll see you soon."
Rae moved towards the door but Jesse stood in her way. "Rae, I need to talk to you."
"Not now, Jess, just not now." With that she barged her way past him and fled to the safety of the elevator. As the doors shut she considered what she had just done. She couldn't believe that she had bolted like that. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that Jesse was the man that she loved, not that she'd really had any uncertainty about it. When she had sat with Steve's head in her lap waiting for the paramedics she had been worried sick for him, but not in the same way as she had been for Jesse when Levington had abducted him. So why didn't you just tell him, and get things back to how they should be?
Jesse watched Rae's retreating back, and his eyes didn't leave her until the elevator doors shut and he knew that she was on her way to another floor. He went back into the doctor's lounge and flopped down on the sofa. He shut his eyes, and he saw Steve's bruised and battered body in his mind's eye. He realised that Steve's apology had been more than enough for him. As he had seen him injured once again in the line of duty, nothing other than the fact that he would do everything in his power to make his friend better, had mattered. He knew that he needed to tell him that as soon as he could.
The elevator stopped and the doors opened, Rae walked slowly down the hallway. She knew that Steve would look even more bruised now than when she had seen him last. She moved in through the door and saw Mark sitting looking off into space. Rae wondered where his thoughts were taking him, but she didn't want to pry.
"Mark, how is he?" Her voice was almost a whisper, but he turned straight away.
"He'll be ok, Sweetie, he's fast asleep now, and I guess he will stay that way for the rest of today, and through until morning."
"And you will be with him the whole time, right?" Rae smiled at him.
"Of course, he would be worried if he woke up and I wasn't here."
Rae moved over and put her hand on her friend's shoulder. She was touched by the simple faith that the Sloans showed to each other. They had complete confidence in each other's love and actions.
"I am gonna go home now, Mark, but I'll be back in the morning."
"Rae, can I speak to you for a minute?" Mark stood up and moved towards the door and Rae knew she had no choice.
As they sat down in the hallway Rae began to speak. "Mark, I am really sorry that Steve is here, I failed …"
"Rae, honey, that is not what I want to speak to you about. But if I didn't think that you would do your utmost to keep my Son safe, I wouldn't have sent my letter to the police commission. I trust you to do your job to the best of your ability at all times, and more importantly, so does Steve."
"Mark, thank you. I hope you know I would never knowingly let him down. But if it isn't that, what is it?" She stopped a moment, as an awful thought crossed her mind. "Is there something else the matter with Steve, something that Jesse didn't tell me?"
"No, no, it's not that. I want to know what happened between Steve and Jesse. They practically ignored each other the other day, or rather Steve ignored Jesse."
Rae felt her heart fall to her feet. "I can't say, Mark, maybe Steve wouldn't want you to know, or Jesse for that matter. If you like you could ask him."
"Rae. If Steve was able to tell me I would be asking him, but he can't so I am asking you, not Jesse, you."
Rae took a deep breath and tried to sound calm and collected as she began to speak. "We had a meal together one night, about three weeks ago, and well, one thing led to another, and we kissed."
Slowly, and painfully Rae told Mark all about the meal they'd had, and how it had turned from a normal discussion into a heated argument and then into kisses that had ultimately caused the awkwardness between Steve and Jesse.
"He kissed me, Mark, and I kissed him back. When he pulled away from me I made him look at me, and I asked if he had liked it. He had, and so had I, but it was over, before it even began. It won't happen again.
"So you kissed each other, just the once, and that was it?"
"Twice, we kissed each other twice, and yes that was it. We have worked together ever since, and we haven't done it again."
"What about Jesse, and Jo? Did you think about them?" Mark looked at Rae and waited for her answer.
"No, not right at the start, but yes, we did, and we stopped. I love him, Mark, but not like that, I promise you."
"Have you told Jesse?"
Rae just nodded. She felt so ashamed of herself, and she had no idea how to end the conversation, or how to make things right with her friend.
"I can't tell either of you how to live your lives, or who to spend your time with, but I am surprised, at both of you. I guess you didn't plan it, but now you have to deal with the consequences. I am sure that Jo will be very hurt when Steve tells her, and he will tell her, I have no doubt of that. Jesse, well he loves you, Rae, I know you realise that. It may take time for Jesse to trust you again, but he will, speak to him, make sure he knows everything you have told me." Mark squeezed her hand and she felt nothing but relief and gratitude towards her friend."
She began to speak but their attention was returned to the room behind them as Steve began to cough. Mark rushed in. "Steve, it's ok, Son. I'll get you some ice." He gently put two ice slivers into Steve's mouth and watched as he let them melt on his tongue.
Steve let the cold water sooth his throat, then he raised his eyes to his father's face. "Better, thanks." Steve slowly turned his head and saw Rae standing at the door. "Hey, partner."
She walked over to his bed, and conscious of Mark watching her every move she gently kissed his forehead. "Hey, yourself. I guess you forgot to duck, huh?"
"I guess." Steve's voice was full of returning sleep as he replied.
"You rest, I'll see you tomorrow," she brushed his hair back from his face, and then she turned and left the room.
By the time Rae left the hospital it was early afternoon. She knew she should be tired, but the last thing she wanted was sleep. She grabbed a cab and headed back to where Tom was parked. Once she was back in her own little car again she drove out towards the Japanese Gardens. She paid her entrance fee and ignoring the strange looks she got, until she remembered her jeans she looked around her. She moved away from where there appeared to be the most people and felt the worries and stresses of the day begin to leave her as she walked around the beautiful and peaceful grounds.
She found herself a bench that was isolated and empty. She sat down on it, and played her mind back over the events of the past few weeks. She knew she needed to sit down with Jesse, and talk. Maybe they could come here. She also realised that once Texas arrived, their friendship could be seriously damaged by what had happened. She shook her head. It was up to Steve to tell her, but once he had, then she would talk to her too.
By the time Rae arrived home it was early evening. She had a quick meal, then she showered and climbed into bed. As she shut her eyes she realised that she was slightly more at peace with herself. She felt Kira climb up and make herself comfy by her side, and then together they slipped off to sleep.