If Sam hadn't been sitting in the reception area, she'd have been tempted to listen at the door but that would have given a very bad impression to JT. The two lovers had been inside the interview room for so long that Sam was beginning to wonder if she should knock and see if they were ok. She hadn't heard any loud noises, or even raised voices from inside. Sudden images of Tessa lying to Jo and seducing her right there and then, continuing to cuckold her, assaulted Sam's mind, turning her stomach. She realised that there was so much about Jo she didn't know: would she fall for some sob story and take Tessa back so easily? Was she capable of lashing out at a lover in the heat of an argument? Would she crumble under the weight of Tessa's betrayal? Sam feared for how she would cope with the realisation that she had not simply lost her lover to another but to a man. Could there be any crueller blow for her?
The interview room door opening brought Sam back to the present. Tessa flashed her a look of utter disdain as she strode for the front doors, no signs of remorse or regret. Sam waited tentatively to see if Jo would emerge, chase after her, beg her for another chance. When she didn't appear, Sam peered around the doorjamb, her heart plummeting into my stomach at the sight which greeted her. Pushing the door closed behind her barring Jo from view of prying eyes, Sam approached her cautiously, not wishing to alarm her.
"Jo, I'm not even going to ask if you're ok, that would be a stupid question but is there anything I can do? Anyone I can call for you?" At first, it appeared that Jo hadn't heard her Sergeant enter the room, so wrapped up was she in her pain. Sam tentatively laid a hand on her upper arm, feeling the trembling beneath her hand of barely suppressed sobs. "Hey, don't hold back on my account. Let it all out, cry, scream, call her every name under the sun and curse every last living woman if it makes you feel better but don't bottle it up inside." Ignoring feeble protests, Sam gathered Jo into a tender hug, soothing her with whispered words of support and running a hand over her hair hoping to relax the other woman into releasing some of the tension pulsating within her.
"Sarge, I appreciate your concern but the best thing for me to do is to go back upstairs and get on with finding this bastard who keeps abducting women." Jo made a move to stand, needing to put some distance between herself and Sam. She never had coped well with people being nice to her when she was upset, she found it darn near impossible not to cry and the last thing she wanted was to look like a cry-baby in front of her sergeant.
"I'm sorry Jo, that's not an option. You're in no fit state to be investigating anything, you've had practically no sleep in the last two days and you're not technically on duty now. As your Senior Officer, I'm ordering you to go home and get some rest. If you insist, we'll see you as usual tomorrow morning but I won't be swayed into letting you stay today." Sam almost went back on her word such was the crestfallen look on Jo's face at the prospect of being sent home.
"I can't go home Sarge, Tessa's going to be there clearing the rest of her belongings out." Jo's voice cracked as she mentioned her ex-lover's name.
"Let me call someone to come and fetch you, a friend you can stay with, someone you feel comfortable talking to. Please Jo, let me do something to help you." Jo turned away from Sam, unable to look at her as she admitted she was alone.
"There is no one. My family are back in Manchester, the friends I had down here were primarily Tessa's so thanks for the offer but I really would be better off staying here." Sam's heart went out to Jo knowing how proud she was and realising how crushing it must be to feel so isolated that work was preferable to any other place.
"Let me have a word with Jack, see if he'll let me finish my shift a bit early today, take some paperwork home with me. Phil's in and I'm sure he, Zain and Suzie are more than capable of looking after themselves for a few hours. You can come back to my house, get your head down for a couple of hours at least." Sam's mind was working in overdrive, having imagined inviting Jo home with her on many occasions but never having envisaged it to be under these circumstances.
"Sarge, please, I'm not a charity case. I'm a big girl, I'll get over it." Jo knew it was next to useless protesting, once Sam Nixon had set her mind to something, it happened no matter what objections were raised or obstacles littered her path.
"I know you're not Jo and I know you'll get over it, but I also know that it's going to take time and the longer you fight to ignore it, the harder it's going to hit you when it breaks through the surface. Jo, please, let me be there for you, as a friend. I know we've had our differences in the past but recently we've been getting on so well and I have to admit, I like you." Sam smiled ruefully, hoping to coax at least some semblance of humour out of Jo.
Jo paused for long seconds, her hormones waging war on her common sense. Going home with Sam had been a fantasy that fuelled many steamy dreams in recent months but the reality was bound to be awkward. Still, Jo didn't feel she could refuse without offending Sam and saw no reason not to grasp the olive branch being extended to her. "Ok fine ask the DCI if he can spare you but if he says no, I want you to promise that I can go back upstairs and get on with some work?" Jo tried to make her acceptance seem resigned and grudging but her words were tinged with obvious relief at having found someone willing to befriend her for herself and not because of her relationship with Tessa.
"Stay put, I'll be back in a few minutes. Can I get you a drink of anything before I go?" Sam rubbed Jo's arm supportively, glad that she had not been forced into dragging Jo out of the station against her will.
"Ah the great British tradition, in times of crisis, put the kettle on. Nothing bad can happen if you have a cup of tea in your hand!" The words flowed from Jo with some of her usual dry wit. "I'm fine thanks Sarge."
"Please, call me Sam. I don't make a habit of inviting people back to my place if I'm not on first name terms with them!" Sam quipped, immediately regretting it, thinking she should only open her mouth to change feet.
Reading her expression accurately, Jo remarked, "it's ok Sam, you don't have to be on eggshells around me." With one last look to reassure herself that Jo wasn't planning on making a run for her desk, Sam closed the door behind her, striding purposefully towards Jack Meadow's office.