Fight and Flight
Jesse came out of the room that housed Bob Mills and for a moment he sank into the chair positioned next to the door. He was sure that they were put there for exhausted ER doctors who needed to collect themselves before leaving the ICU. He really thought that they had lost Bob this time, but they had finally pulled him back. The sergeant had only just survived the surgery, and there was still no guarantee that he would be with them in the morning. As Jesse stood to return to the ER the alarms in the room behind him started again.
Amanda had been working late into the night on the bodies from the shooting at Steve's precinct, but she was just about finishing up. As she stood, and gently straightened her back, the phone began to ring. "Doctor Bentley … Jess…? No, I'll come up myself, you stay there." She put the phone back on its hook and, stopping only long enough to pick up a clean white coat, made her way to the ICU. Jesse was sitting in the hallway and she could see, even from the elevator doorway, that he was fighting to control his emotions. She was within touching distance of him before he even realised that she was there, and when he looked up she could see the anger and distress etched on his face.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Steve watched as Rae tried to contain her feelings, he knew that she had always had a good working relationship with Bob, he did too, but Bob and Rae had been friends, almost from the start of her time in LA. "Rae, do you want me to run you back to Jo's? We can re-group in the morning. I'll come back and finish up here."
"No, no, I'll stay. Who knows when I'll get another chance to be a cop?"
Steve's heart softened for a moment and he looked into her eyes. She had been without a vocation for so long that sometimes he forgot just how much she must miss it. "Ok, George, we need to finish this up and find Ms Breth. Do you have any idea of where she might be? Relatives she has here, friends, anything at all that could lead us to her? And a picture would be good."
George had been shaking his head, but then as Steve mentioned a picture he nodded and, without a word, got up moved over to a dark sideboard and opened one of the drawers. He rummaged around for a few minutes, muttering to himself, while the rest of them sat, or in Rae's case stood, in silence waiting for him. "Here, here it is. This is Sandy, but it's not current, when she came here her hair was different."
Steve looked at the picture he now held in his hand. Sandra Breth was roughly the same height as George, she was slim with shoulder length blonde hair and in the picture had a pair of blue jeans, dark blue jeans and a pure white, perfectly plain t-shirt on. The effect was stunning. She was standing with her arm around George, and together they looked like the perfect California couple.
"You know, George, I think I could do with that coffee about now." Steve looked at his younger colleague and Joseph, realising what he was getting at, stood and, taking his partner by the hand, headed down towards what Steve and Rae imagined was the kitchen.
Steve looked over at Rae and sighed. "We have to share this information don't we? There is no way we are gonna keep him out of this. Why the hell didn't he say something the other night? Six people would still be alive, his reputation would be intact and … and it wouldn't be me doing this." Steve ran his hands through his hair, and for a brief moment Rae smiled at him.
"I thought he was ill when he had his dizzy spell at Bob's but he wasn't was he? He just realised that throughout the whole case he was the link. Poor guy, no wonder he didn't say anything."
"Rae, how can you say that?" Steve looked aghast at his partner.
"Ok, think about this for a moment. His whole world is about to come down around him. He's not a fool, Steve, he knows that his career is over, he will probably have to move, maybe even out of LA all together. Who would you choose to tell first? The Captain or Jo? He needed to come and speak with Joseph; I can understand that, where he was wrong was after he spoke to him. He should have contacted someone straight away, not waited until the next day."
"Which he spent cowering behind his sofa because he was scared, and that fear cost us six of LA's finest." The anger was coming out in Steve's voice now. He'd had a rotten day, he was tired, angry and he wanted to be home not sitting here waiting for a coffee he wouldn't drink, but had asked for so he could have some time to think.
"Steve, calm down … I know it's difficult, but you have to keep your composure, just a little while longer. What we have to do is clear, not easy, but clear. You need to get an APB out on Ms Breth, and George needs to get in front of a photo programme on one of the station's computers, the ones that can change the details of a person's face. You know, age them, change their hair, add glasses, maybe a beard, although not in this case, that sort of thing. Then he is going to have to make an official statement, I hope we can prevent him from being charged, but you're right, there is going to be another victim in all this, George Bannister."
Steve just nodded, and then they heard the kitchen door open and Joseph came out, at the same time they heard a car start up. Steve was up on his feet "Dammit! Where the hell is he going, Joseph? And it better be the corner store for sugar or you are in big trouble."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jo had tossed and turned for a long while before she had finally managed to get off to sleep. She didn't think she had been dreaming for more than about thirty seconds when she heard the front door bell being rung insistently. Jo knew that Michael would get up and answer it, but she just needed to know who was there. Steve had a set of keys on the same bunch as the ones for his car so she knew that it wouldn't be him, but that worried her even more. She listened a moment or two longer, just to make sure that the noise hadn't woken Eliana and then she grabbed her robe and headed for the stairs. As she began her descent she saw Michael, his blue checked dressing gown wrapped properly around him, switch off the alarm and begin unlocking the bolts on the door.
"Doctor Travis, Sir, I apologise for not being up, we weren't expecting you to return tonight."
"Jess? Is everythin' all right? We thought you would be sleepin' at your house or the hospital tonight an' then comin' back here in the mornin'."
"I just had to stop; I wasn't any good to anybody anymore. I was so tired. I thought I would pick up Rae and Eliana tonight so that we could all sleep in tomorrow."
"Jesse, just come an' find yourself a bedroom, you can have your lie in here." Jo watched as Michael made the house secure once again, and then he moved over to where Jo was standing.
"Madam, Sir, can I get either of you anything to eat or drink?"
"Michael no, I'm fine, I am plannin' on being back in my nice warm bed in a few minutes, once I have settled Jesse in. You go back to bed."
"Sir, do you require anything?" Michael wasn't to be deterred; he would perform his duties whenever they were needed.
Jesse shook his head. "No, thank you, I had something to eat before I left the hospital."
"Good night, Michael, we will see you in the mornin'." Jo looked at her butler with an expression that told him not to argue, and so with a small smile he returned to his room.
Jo and Jesse walked up the staircase together and then Jesse turned to his friend. "I can sleep with Rae, she is used to me getting into bed after her, I won't wake her."
"She's not here; she's out workin' this case with Steve." Jo knew she was in trouble the moment the words left her lips.
"What!"
"Shhh, come in here with me, or you will wake everybody up, an' after the day we have all had we need our sleep!" Jo opened the door to her bedroom and ushered Jesse in.
"How can she possibly be working? She isn't in a fit state to work." Jesse began talking again as soon as he was in through the door.
"Ok, Jesse, now just hold on a minute here. First of all, Steve needed her, an' second of all, she wanted to go. Jesse, you have been treatin' her like she was made of glass an' she isn't. I know she can't do all the things she used to, but this time she could help him. She needs to be needed; Jesse, an' Steve said that this guy would open up to her. I guess it must be workin' because they have been gone a good while."
"And that is supposed to make me feel better? I imagine that Eliana is still here, or did they take her off on this little jaunt of theirs too?"
"Jesse, for goodness sake. You have got to stop wrappin' her in cotton wool an' let her live a little. You know that Steve wouldn't take her anywhere if he thought he was going to endanger her, you, Rae an' Eliana are his second family he would never put them in any danger."
"Hah!" Jesse laugh was short and angry. "Yeah, right."
Jo knew that was how his argument with Steve had started, and she was not about to get into a shouting match with her best friend's husband. "Ok, Doctor Travis, this is my house an' I will thank you to keep a civil tongue in your head while you are my guest. I would suggest that before you find yourself with more bridges to re-build you head for a bed an' sleep for a while. In the mornin' everybody will be here, you can take your family home if that is what they want to do or they can stay a little longer. But now," Jo stopped a moment as she saw Jesse get ready to speak again. "But now, we are going to sleep. Your daughter is in her nursery, the room next to it is made up for you an' Rae, I would suggest you sleep there. Good night, Jesse." Jo leant over and kissed him gently on the cheek, then she turned, opened her bedroom door once more, and waited for him to leave.
For a moment it looked as if Jesse was going to continue with his argument, but then with a shake of the head he left the room and headed down the hallway. Once he was in the bedroom he pulled out his cell phone and made a call.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Steve had opened the front door and rushed out into the street, but the car had disappeared down to the intersection and he knew that he would never catch it. As he was returning to the front room he heard a phone begin to ring and realised that it was Rae's.
"Steve, I'm sorry, can you help me?" Rae had the phone in her hand, but Steve knew that she couldn't hold it to her ear, so taking hold of it he did it for her. "Hello?" Steve saw her demeanour change as she heard the voice the other end. "Hi, Jess… No, he needed me to help him interview someone … No, he's busy right now … Jesse, I have no idea how long I will be, but if you don't get off the phone I will be much longer because I can't do my work …Yes, I know I am, I am hardly likely to forget now am I…? And if you take that tone with me I will get Steve to drop me at home, and I won't come back to Texas's place at all… Good night, Jesse!" Rae looked at Steve and he cut the connection.
"I guess I'm in even more trouble with him now?" Steve shook his head. There was no doubt about it, his friend had changed and not for the better over the last few months. He knew that Jesse had been under an enormous amount of pressure, but so had he, and Jesse wasn't handling it very well.
"He's just worried about me, Steve. We haven't found a happy medium yet, because I am so dependent on him. And about to get even more so. But we will. I love him, Steve and I can't let everything we have get spoilt, not now. Let's just deal with this now, and I will sort Jesse out later. We need to work out what to do about George," Rae looked at the man standing across the room from her, and she could see no remorse in his face. "Joseph, why did you let him run? You know it will be way worse for him now. We need him to get this case wrapped up, he is the only one who really knows this woman, and I have to say that on top of withholding evidence, running away makes him look guilty of even more than poor judgement and weak character."
"I let him run because I wasn't about to let you crucify him."
"Oh, come on. We have sat here for …" Steve checked his watch and found to his amazement that it was just coming up to three in the morning. "Hours, listening to his story, when we could have taken him to the station straight away. I have tried to give him as much leeway as I could, and treat him with compassion, and all he has done is spit in my face! If he comes back I suggest that you convince him to come to the station to see me in the morning, if he doesn't there will be a warrant for his arrest issued as soon as I arrive. The leeway ends then." Steve moved over towards the door. "Rae, I think it's time we left."
Rae moved slowly towards the door. She had been standing up for a long time, and her knees were really hurting her. She managed to get to the door and was extremely relieved and grateful when she felt Steve's arm go round her. As the front door was shut behind them without another word being spoken Rae leant in towards Steve and hoped that her legs would last as far as the car.
"Honey, are you all right? I can carry you if you would like?" Steve was instantly concerned about her. By the way she was leaning into him he was almost carrying her already.
"No, no I will do it, just don't move away from me." Rae slowly and painfully walked down towards the car. It hadn't seemed a very long path on the way up, but it sure did now. Finally, she realised Steve had pressed his remote control and the doors had all unlocked and then he carefully helped her into her seat. Rae shut her eyes for a moment as she let the effects of the exertion slowly dissipate, and then she opened them again. "Thank you. Thank you, for letting me be a part of it all again. But now I think I need to go to bed, and I am absolutely certain that you do."
"I think I have to go back to the station first, and to the hospital…"
"No, Steve, call if you want, both places, now, before we leave here, then you have to go and rest. This has been traumatic for all of us, you especially, and you need to recuperate before starting again tomorrow."
Steve looked over at his partner and knew that she was right, he was exhausted, mentally and physically, and all he wanted to do was get into a nice warm bed, cuddle up to Jo and sleep for a week. "Ok, I guess you're right. Let me make the calls and then we can go home."
"Only if you do me a favour first."
"What's that?" Steve looked concerned as he heard Rae ask.
"Could you put the heater on? I'm freezing."
With a smile Steve did as he was asked, and then he put his two calls through. There had been no change in the condition of the officers at Community General, and Cheryl was sleeping. He checked with the station, and confirmed the details of his APB, and said that he would fax the picture to them once he got home. Then with a sigh Steve started the car and headed back to Beverley Hills.
Steve let himself and Rae quietly into the house through the laundry room, silencing the alarm and re-setting it as he did so. Then they moved slowly into the main hallway. Rae was having trouble walking and in the end she had to stop and lean back against the nearest wall.
"Rae, are you all right?" Steve spoke in a whisper but the concern was evident in his voice.
"I don't think I am going to make it up those stairs tonight, can I sleep in the living room?"
"I guess so, if you are sure it won't damage your neck. I can help you up the stairs though, there isn't that much of you, I can probably carry you up." Steve looked at his partner, she was very thin, and he knew that part of that was because it was so difficult for her to actually eat anything unaided.
"Ok, I would rather sleep in a bed, let's give it a go then." Rae felt herself being lifted up into Steve's arms, and she felt instantly safe. She knew that he wouldn't rush and so she leant into his chest and just let him take her slowly and carefully up the stairs. Once they got to the top Steve moved down to the room next to the nursery, which was where Rae and Jesse always slept when they stayed, and carefully opened the door with one hand. Rae kissed him gently on the cheek and then felt herself being lowered to the ground.
"Well, it's about time you got back!" The voice flew out of the darkness, and Steve let Rae fall the last few feet to the floor.
"Arghhh."
"Rae, are you alright?" Steve's voice was anxious and he flicked on the light and crouched down to where Rae was lying.
A glow from Steve's room was suddenly visible under the door and Jo put her head out into the hallway. "Steve?"
"Jo, it's all right, I'll be with you in just a minute."
Steve's tone told Jo to stay where she was. "Ok." The door shut again, but the light stayed on.
For a few minutes Rae couldn't speak as the fire-like pain spread through her. Jesse moved over and crouched down the other side of her to Steve, and Rae leant in towards him. Gradually she started to control herself and began to speak, albeit very faintly. "Steve… could you put me on the bed … please?"
Very carefully Steve picked her back up and laid her gently on the bed. He watched as Jesse stood there, not saying another word just taking in everything that was happening. Eventually Rae had her breath again and she began to speak to her husband.
"What time did you get back, Jess? I thought you would be working at the hospital tonight."
"I'll just bet you did. Is that why you went gallivanting all over LA, Detective?"
Rae felt the anger well up inside her but she forced it back down. "Jesse, I am delighted that you are here, but I am really tired, could we talk about this in the morning do you think?"
"It is the morning, in case you hadn't noticed."
"Jesse, go to sleep, Steve, thank you for bringing me up the stairs, I will see you later, ok?"
"Ok, Rae, and I'm really sorry. Sleep tight now… Jesse." Steve turned and moved over towards the door. "Do you want the light left on?"
"I know you are, but it was an accident. Yes, please leave the light; I never was much good at getting undressed in the dark." Rae smiled at Steve but she was relieved when he left the room. "Jesse, do you think you could help me?"
With a grunt Jesse moved round to Rae's side of the room, then he carefully undid the buttons on her shirt and trousers, and helped her out of her arm brace. As he pulled her trousers down he gasped. Her left knee was extremely swollen. "Rae, your knee, did you hurt it when Steve dropped you?"
"A bit I think, but I've been using it more than usual, and it was very painful anyway… Jesse, don't. Don't say anything now, just let us sleep, we can talk tomorrow. I need to talk to you, but right now, more than anything I need to feel you next to me as I fall asleep."
Jesse looked at her, and he could see something in her eyes, but he wasn't sure what it was, he wondered if it was fear, maybe even desperation, but he wasn't sure, he knew, however, that now wasn't the time to press it, and so he just nodded and then he walked back round, climbed into bed, and gently moulded his body around that of his wife, and within five minutes, sleep had claimed them both.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It was almost lunchtime before Steve, Rae or Jesse woke up. Jesse was scheduled to work a night shift and Steve wasn't shifted at all. He was just working all the hours available to him to try to sort out his caseload. He grabbed a sandwich in the kitchen, and ate it quickly under the watchful eye of Michael. Then he picked up two apples, a packet of potato chips and a can of soda and headed for the door. "I have no idea when I'll be back, Michael, so don't plan dinner for me, I'm sure I'll find the odd crust somewhere when I get home."
"Very good, Sir. I will make sure that there is a cold meal in the refrigerator, awaiting your return."
Steve stopped where he was and turned. He moved over to the upright English butler and smiled. "Michael, I don't know if I have ever said anything to you before, but you really are a marvel. I know that my eating habits are difficult to predict, but I have never, in all the time I have lived in this house, been left hungry and I really do appreciate everything that you do for me. Thank you." Steve didn't want to embarrass the man anymore than he had a feeling he already had, so he smiled and then resumed his course out to the garage, and began his journey into work.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Rae woke up and for a moment she couldn't work out where she was. Then she saw the sun shining in through the deep and heavy gold brocade curtains and knew instantly, she was at Texas's house. "Jesse?"
"Mmm, what, Rae?" Jesse had been drifting in and out of sleep for about an hour. He didn't usually get the chance to do so, and he had been enjoying the sensation. His daughter had woken him just after eight, but Jo had come into the nursery at the same time as him, and she had taken Eliana downstairs, told him to go back to bed, and take as long as he wanted. Jesse had been so tired that he hadn't needed telling twice, but now as he heard Rae next to him, he began to wake up properly, and he turned and looked at her. "Hey, beautiful, how are you this morning?"
Rae had smiled at him, and blinked back a tear. "You haven't called me that in a very long time. I am way better for hearing you say that… Thank you, Jesse."
Jesse felt instantly guilty. He hadn't thought before he spoke, and to him she was the most beautiful woman in the world, but he realised that it had been a long time since he had treated her as such. "Would you like a cuddle?"
"Yes please, can you do the manoeuvring? Every part of me aches at the moment." Rae shut her eyes and felt Jesse's arms go around her and she realised that she was moving just slightly and then she was able to lean into Jesse's chest, and she felt his arms around her. "Thank you." Rae just lay there. The feelings of security and love that were surrounding her were ones she didn't ever want to go away. It was as if, for a moment in time, she was under a spell, and if she moved she would break it. Jesse must have felt the same because he neither spoke nor moved, and they just lay, in each other's arms, and took refuge there.
Rae had no idea how much time had passed before there was a light knock on the door, but she imagined that it was at least thirty minutes. "Come in." The door opened slowly, and Michael entered, a tray in his hands.
"I thought that maybe Sir and Madam would like a cup of tea, and to know that luncheon will be served in twenty minutes."
"Michael, thank you, how thoughtful of you." Rae smiled, and Michael smiled back. Although he would never admit it, it was extremely gratifying to be so appreciated.
Jesse helped Rae to sit up, making sure that all the pillows were behind her to support her, and then they sat and drank their tea.
"Jesse, I need to talk to you about last night." Rae waited while Jesse moved the cup he had been holding up for her to drink from and put it back on the tray.
"Yeah, I know. Rae, you can't do that any more, go rushing off like that…"
"I know that, Jesse, I realised last night that I am never gonna get back to a state of fitness where I can be a useful cop any more. That part of my life is over. When we get home I will write my letter of resignation."
"Oh, Rae, I am so sorry…"
"No, Jesse, you aren't, not really. You have never liked me being a cop, I knew that almost from the beginning, but you tolerated it, and you let me do my job. It was just the rest of the world that seemed intent on stopping me. But last night, last night we were only interviewing… a man who had information on the drive by's. I couldn't even do that without my injury getting in the way. I had to have a special chair to sit in, then I had to stand, by the time we left the house I could hardly walk, and Steve had to almost carry me to the car. I have to face it, Jesse, my career is over. I guess you will get your wish. I will be housebound; you will always know exactly where I am." Rae shut her eyes, and a single tear ran down her cheek. She couldn't move to brush it away and so it trickled all the way down and then ran under her chin, and Jesse saw it travel along the scar she now had on her throat, and he thought his heart would break for her.
"Rae, I really am sorry. You're right, I don't want you to be a police officer, and I will be glad that you aren't in danger every day, but I know that being a cop is part of who you are, and to be unable to do it … well, I can't even begin to imagine how you are feeling, but I love you, Rae, and I will help you get over your loss, because that is what it is, a loss." He pulled her towards him then, and felt her shudder in his arms. The tears didn't last for long, but for a brief moment they engulfed her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
By the time Steve had got to the precinct the parking lot had been re-opened and he was able to park in his normal space. He thought back to the severed arm that had been found there the day before. He really didn't need a dismembered body case along with the drive by's, but it wasn't up to him what cases he got assigned, and so he had to just deal with it. A policeman's lot is not a happy one. He smiled, he had no idea where that came from, but some days it was true.
There was a new face on the reception desk, and Steve moved over to introduce himself. "Hi, I'm Lieutenant Steve Sloan." He held out his hand, and was pleased when the young woman there shook it.
"Hi, my name is Alison, Sergeant Alison Royle." Alison smiled, she'd had a difficult few hours, and this man was the first one to actually speak to her as a human being.
"I just wanted to say hello, I guess that, for now at least, you are Bob's replacement?"
The young lady nodded her head. "Yeah, I used to man the desk over at Rampart, but they asked me last night if I would transfer here. This is a much nicer place to work so I had no hesitation, I said yes. I knew Bob; I had spoken to him on the phone, although I had never met him. He was a nice guy; I was flattered to be asked to replace him… Sorry, I talk too much when I am nervous."
"That's ok. Did you say Rampart?" Steve saw her nod. "Ok, I need to ask you some questions; I don't suppose you have a break coming up in the next thirty seconds do you?"
"No, Lieutenant, I'm sorry, but I could get someone to cover for me for a while, I guess."
"I'll do it, then they won't think you're slacking." Steve picked up the phone, and dialled. Ten minutes later, Alison was sitting on one side of his desk as Steve asked her questions from the other.
"Did you know a Sandra Breth when you worked at Rampart?"
Alison thought for a moment and then she nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I did. Strange lady, beautiful, absolutely stunning, but she never seemed to date. There were rumours, you know, but then she started to go out with a guy…" Alison tapped her fingers on the desk as she tried to remember. "Nope, can't remember his name, but he was as drop dead gorgeous as she was, and together they were just almost too perfect, if you know what I mean. They were engaged, but I heard that he got cold feet, anyway Alison left the station, heard she even left the state, whatever, I haven't seen her since, why?"
"Is this her?" Steve took out the picture of Sandy and George and showed it to Alison.
"Yeah, that's her; I mean look, blue jeans and a t-shirt, on you or me that would just look ordinary, well, on me anyway." Alison looked at the detective in front of her, and realised that on him it would probably look pretty damn good. "But on her, well, she was front page news all the way."
"You don't know how right you are." Steve paused for a moment. "Do you have any idea where she is now?" He saw Alison shake her head, "or know of anybody who might have an address for her. I need to find her, and fast."
"I don't remember her being particularly friendly with anyone, she was ok, but a little bit on the outside looking in if you know what I mean, well, until she started to date George." Alison snapped her fingers. "There, I knew it would come to me, his name was George, and then she became a bit more popular. Most of the girls at Rampart would have given anything to go out with George, but he was very particular who he dated, and she was the first woman from the station he ever went out with."
"What about the people who worked with her. She was a civilian administration assistant wasn't she?" Steve had sent through the details of Sandra Breth last night after he had helped Rae to bed, and this morning he had found a note on his desk saying that there was no record of anyone of that name living within the greater Los Angeles area, so he was still at a dead stall. "You said that she was engaged, I don't suppose you know where she was planning to get married do you?" Steve's pencil was rushing across the paper as he tried to take down everything that Alison said.
"Now it's funny you should say that, yeah I do. I heard her talking to one of the women she worked with. Patsy her name was, she was just a lovely lady, Sandy was saying that she really needed to talk to George about the wedding, because she had a feeling that she had never mentioned to him that she was actually a Catholic, and she wanted to get married in Saint … Saint… it was a real strange name for a saint, not Peter, or anything like that." Alison shook her head, "Nope, sorry, it's a long time since I thought of any of this stuff."
"What about Patsy? Would she remember do you think?" Steve had caught up with what Alison was saying and so he laid his pencil down.
Alison shook her head. "No, sorry, Patsy died about a year ago, she had a heart attack."
"Great! But why should I be surprised?" Steve saw the puzzled look on the sergeant's face and smiled. "Alison, thank you, you have been a great help, but I need a break in this case, and I'm just not getting it." Steve watched as Alison rose to her feet and turned to go back to work, and then with a sigh he picked up the phone and put a call through to George Bannister's home number. "Joseph, it's Steve Sloan, did George come back…? I see, I meant what I said last night … Yeah, well, if he does come back I expect to be notified…Ok, bye." Steve shook his head and then with a heavy heart began to set the wheels in motion to organise an arrest warrant for a fellow officer.