Not sure if I am too happy with this chapter but I hope you are all able to see what I am trying to do! Just want to get as much of this out as I can whenever I can for you all.

As always, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you to everyone for reading, especially those of you who have left comments and reviews. It really does mean so much to me and motivate me to keep writing. Some of you have been so loyal to this fic, and I can only hope I can repay my gratitude by continuing to write something you all enjoy reading!

Steve's desk is empty when Liz heads over to it the next morning. She needs to tell him about what has happened. It now overrides everything; Waldron, Denton, all of it.

Liz was not an investigator nor was she Steve's partner. Telling herself she has no professional or personal reason to be upset with the man, Liz made the decision last night to find him and tell him the truth about being followed and - she can't even think about it. The thought of it makes her sick.

But he will want to help. She knows it. She needs it.

"You alright?" a voice asks behind her as she looks around the office.

"Oh, yeah," Liz tries to smile as Dot moves to stand beside her by the desk, "Have you seen Steve?"

"Out putting pressure on Hari Bains," Dot explains, "What do you need?"

Liz's smile falters, "Just wanted to talk to him about something."

She worries he can see the disturbance in her eyes. That he can feel the anxiety radiating off her. The concerned questioning in his gaze suggests to her he has noticed the way she was wringing her hands together and shifting her weight from one foot to the other, impatiently.

"You can talk to me?" Dot shrugs, though looking sincere.

Liz is tempted. Dot had been nothing but kind to her recently. The way he was looking at her now made her heart ache.

She needs to talk to someone, she knows. And she doesn't want to be alone, not now.

"It isn't important, just something about paperwork," she curses herself for the lie, wishing she had given in to the urge to confess what has been happening to her.

Dot nods, unconvinced.

Liz attempts another smile and goes to move past him for her office, but the man calls out for her again. She stops, raising a wondering brow.

"Do you like chilli?"

Liz lets out a breathy, quizzical laugh. That was the last thing she thought he would ask her after the way she had just acted.

Dot turns bashful, stepping closer to her to avoid the eavesdropping ears of the office, "I've got a pot on the simmer back."

Liz's brow raises higher in confusion, though a smile remains on her face at his amusing sheepishness about whatever he was asking.

He rubs the back of his neck as she stares up at him, clearly not understanding his suggestion, "Always end up making more than I need."

Liz only looks at him, unsure what to say as she slowly realises his intention. He is inviting her back to his for dinner tonight. The corners of her mouth twitch as her jaw hangs slightly open, struggling to respond.

"You probably have plans," he shakes his head, as if berating himself for asking. She panics, assuming he thinks her silence is a rejection.

"No," she says, rather quickly and louder than intended, stopping him from turning away, "I love chilli."

Liz is relieved to see him relax, putting his hands casually into his pockets. A smile lights up his face, as does hers.

"Ok. Great," he grins, "Uh, I finish at 18:00. I'll come by your office."

"Sounds good, yeah," she fights down a blush, surrendering to her own smile, "See you then."

"See ya," he smiles, looking at her for another moment before walking away to his desk.

She remains standing there for a moment, watching Dot walk away. Her stomach twists - though not with the tormenting uneasiness she had grown so used to in the last few days. No, this felt different. A good different.

"Thank you," she smiles as the man sits beside her on the sofa, placing a bowl of hot chilli in front of her, "Looks lovely."

Dot huffs, humbly, rolling up his shirt sleeves and stirring his bowl with a spoon for a moment, "All thanks to a pre-prepared-packet. Was going to try and play it off as my own but worried you would see right through me."

She smiles, stirring the bowl herself, "Still, thank you."

"You're welcome."

The journey to his flat had been pleasant enough, even despite the update she received on the Waldron case. Rod Kennedy, one of the officers present when Danny was shot, was found to have hung himself in a warehouse nearby. Dot says he believes Rod was the one to have killed Danny, then topped himself out of guilt. Kate has been instructed to increase direct surveillance on Hari Bains, one of the other PCs, to see if he reveals any more direct evidence of this. Liz was grateful when that part of the conversation ended. Not because of the gruesome details, but any thought of Danny Waldron scared her.

He was dead. And yet, someone continued to torment her at her home. So who?

"You ok?" Dot asks her, Liz blushing as she realises she was lost in thought over the incident again.

"Yeah, sorry, just tired from work," she only half-lies.

Dot glances at her, disbelieving. She ignores the look, taking a bite of the food and humming, delightedly, "This is good!"

Dot smiles, "Not too fiery?"

"I'll cope," Liz jokes, taking another bite.

"If you go to the trouble of making a pot, you might as well make it last a few days, you know," Dot says, "One night have it with rice, one night baked potato."

Liz chuckles, still finding this whole situation quite strange but enjoying herself. It was endearing, seeing him like this. The way she viewed him when they first met all those years ago was so far from the man sitting across from her now. That man was brash and crude, but this man was sweet and generous with a slightly boyish but easy sense of humour. And she liked this Dot.

Dot laughs too, "Rock and roll, me."

The pair eat the food quietly for another moment before Dot speaks up again, "You live alone?"

"Yeah, just me and the cat-" she swallows, realising her mistake. Liz puts down her fork, reaching rather shakily for her glass of water, taking a large sip to wash down the bile that has risen in her throat.

Dot doesn't seem to notice, having been looking at his own bowl of food.

"What about you? Seeing anyone?" she says, attempting to cover up the way she had choked, glancing around his empty flat.

He shakes his head with a small smirk, "Nah, not yet."

She smiles at that. There was that wit again.

"How is Sally?" she asks after his ex-wife, remembering their name from their appointments.

"Don't see her much nowadays," he admits, shrugging, "Not like there is much reason to without kids or nothing."

"She was an officer too, right?"

"Forensics," he corrects, Liz nodding as she recalls it, "You ever wanted kids?"

Liz is almost taken back by the question, "Honestly, never really thought about it. Guess that isn't something I would consider unless I find the person I would want them with."

Dot hums, "Never got round to it. Besides, not exactly cut out for it."

Liz puts down her spoon, frowning, "What do you mean?"

"No, no, no," he says, waving his own spoon at her, "Not tonight. None of that wellbeing stuff. We are just two friends enjoying a mediocre chilli."

Liz laughs, nodding in agreement. She was using that work voice again. She didn't mean to. It just happened naturally with her, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he insists, "It's sweet."

She feels her cheeks heat at that, moving her gaze down to her food and taking another bite to calm herself. Dot smirks, watching her, pleased by the reaction.

"So," Liz starts, hoping to redeem the conversation, "I have always wanted to ask. Why 'Dot'?"

He chuckles, "And I thought you were the most intelligent woman I had ever met."

She blushes at the compliment but laughs at the juxtaposed tease.

"Dot Cottan," he repeats, "As in Dot Cotton."

She gasps, "From Eastenders?"

The pair share a laugh as he nods, Liz berating herself for never having realised before, "I am such an idiot. I have known you for, what, four years? And I never worked that out!"

"It is a stupid name, really," Dot shakes his head, "Nige came up with it."

Liz suddenly stops laughing, perhaps a little too dramatically, at that. It seemed less funny knowing Nigel Morton had been the one to come up with it. Dot continues laughing at her reaction.

"Here, let me take your bowl," Dot offers as he stands, seeing she has finished.

She thanks him as he takes it, walking over to his kitchen sink.

"There's seconds here if you fancy," he calls out.

Liz turns over the back of the sofa to look at him, smiling, "Any more and I won't get off this sofa."

The pair chuckle again, though it soon dies out, leaving the two staring at each other. A realisation of her insinuation falling heavily over them.

And the realisation they were both tempted by the idea.

Liz clears her throat quietly, breaking them both out of it, "May I use your bathroom?"

"Of course, second door on the left," Dot says, turning away to put the dishes in the sink.

Liz follows his directions to the bathroom, closing the door gently behind her. She did not necessarily need to go, but wanted a moment to recollect herself after whatever that was.

She was unsure of Dot's intent inviting her here this evening. Just like with the coffee, it was possible it was something more than just two colleagues hanging out during and after work. But that would be ridiculous. What did 'more' even mean?

It is likely he just wanted to make her feel better, knowing how stressed she was with work and Denton and Steve and other things she had not yet told him about.

But it was nice. Really nice. She enjoyed his company, and it seemed he enjoyed hers. Hastings was busy with Superintendent duties and Roisin, Kate was undercover or otherwise with Mark and Josh, and Steve had the Waldron case, Denton's trial and Sam to worry about. So why shouldn't she make a new friend? It is only natural that herself and Dot will grow closer as the only two members of the team without other commitments beside work.

So what would be so wrong with it? What scares her so much about it? What even is 'it'?

Just some coffee and some chilli, that's all 'it' is, she tells herself.

Leaving the bathroom, Liz returns to the living space where Dot has returned to the sofa. He is sitting with his elbows on his knees, hands clasped under his chin as his phone rings on the table. It is faced downward, so she cannot see the caller ID - but he seems to be purposely ignoring it. His demeanour has completely changed. It is no longer light-hearted, but darkened.

He looks up at her as she sits beside him, a friendly smile appearing on his face. She smiles back, gesturing to his phone with her head, "Feel free to answer. Don't ignore it on my account."

Dot's smile falls a little as he also looks at the phone, but it soon recovers, "No, you're my guest and my priority."

Liz's smile widens, feeling her cheeks heat as they, once again, look at each other.

He's studying her. Admiring the way her red hair frames her face, some unruly strands brushing against her rosy cheeks. And she's studying him. Admiring the way his small smile brightens his brown eyes, a cheerful glint in them as he looks down at her.

The silence is comfortable. Alarmingly comfortable, Liz realises.

Her face feels warm.

Her stomach drops.

Oh.

"I should probably go," Liz hears herself say, slightly panicked. The air in the room begins to feel less thick as her words cut through it. She immediately regrets it when she sees Dot's face fall.

"Yeah, yeah of course," Dot nods, though there is a hint of disappointment in his expertly crafted charming tone, "You should be getting back. Your cat and all."

Liz feels her throat dry. If not because of his casual comment, him not knowing the truth, then out of disappointment at the night ending.

"I can drop you back?" Dot says as they stand, Liz grabbing her jacket and bag from beside the sofa.

Liz hesitates responding, part of her wanting to stay. She does not want to go back. Not now. Not with everything that is happening. It feels her with dread.

She has enjoyed herself thoroughly this evening. For the most part, she was able to forget all the bullshit going on around her. Even if she had spoken to Steve about her situation, she would still have to face all the conflict surrounding him and Denton's trial. But here, with Dot, away from work, she could just be herself with nothing on her shoulders. That was refreshing.

Maybe she should tell Dot about what was going on. He could help her, in some sort of way. Or at least offer her company. He had already offered to listen. So just take it. Lizzie's job was to listen to others' problems, why shouldn't she have someone listen to her?

No. She didn't just want to talk to someone. Liz wanted to talk to Steve. He was her best friend, no matter what was going on. She trusted him enough to tell him the truth. Dot had been kind, yes. But she didn't know him. Not really. At least, not yet. She would like to though. The coffee and tonight was a start. Liz doubted she would ever know someone as well as she knew Steve, or if she would ever allow anyone to know her as well as he did. But maybe Dot was someone she could trust, someday. He had not given her any real reason not to so far.

"Thank you for the food," Liz says, "I'll walk back. I only live a few minutes away."

Dot seems unsure, but nods, "Send me a text when you're there."

Liz smiles at that, grateful, "See you tomorrow. And really, thank you."

He catches on to the sincerity in her voice, realising she means for more than just the food. Knowing she was not yet ready to talk about whatever was going on, he took the time to distract her and show kindness. Just for a few hours Liz could take her mind off of her burdens.

Dot smiles, waving her off dismissively as they reach his flat door, "Don't mention it."

In the office the next morning, Liz sees Steve standing by Maneet's desk. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she makes her way over, smiling politely when the pair turn to her as she approaches.

Liz feels a lot more confident than she did yesterday, feeling refreshed after a few hours where her mind wasn't plagued with overthinking his actions or what her next ones should be. After her evening at Dot's, she had found herself able to sleep. While they had not talked about what was on her mind, the few hours of pleasant conversation about everything and anything else made her feel better. She was sure after admitting everything to Steve, it would be even better. So, Liz came into the office optimistic.

She meets Steve's eyes, making a point of smiling wider at him, to let him know things were alright between them. It had been two days since they last spoke. That may not seem like long to many, but the pair saw each other practically every day.

"What have you found?" Liz asks, assuming the reason Steve is at Maneet's desk would be because of new evidence in the Waldron case.

Maneet turns to her computer, gesturing to the image of the boy's sports club viewed on the screen, "It's from a boys home called Sands View. Danny Waldron's mum died when he was eleven, so he moved up north to live with his dad and step-mum. That didn't work out so he was taken into care."

She zooms into a particular boy in the image, presumably Danny, "He was there between the ages of thirteen and seventeen."

"I keep going through the file," Steve explains, "There's no link between Danny Waldron and Ronan Murphy while Danny was a police officer."

"So the only link must be this boys home?" Liz asks, Steve nodding. He seems a little timid, unsure how she feels towards him. So she smiles again, hoping that does the trick. His shoulders ease up a little.

"Unfortunately, I can't get a hold of any records of that period," Maneet says, sadly, "One council department told me they were lost in a fire, another told me they went missing during an office move."

Liz frowns. That was suspicious.

"No one knows," Maneet continues, "The lads were kicked out at seventeen and pretty much left to fend for themselves with no follow up. However, I've cross checked with individuals known to the criminal justice system and I do have a name for you."

Liz beams, proud of Maneet. She was proving herself to be a more than valuable member of this department, and she could see Steve was impressed too.

"Same age as Danny, so chances are they were there at the same time."

"Good work," Steve praises, "Send it all my way and I'll pay him a visit."

"Yes, Sarge," Maneet says, turning back to her computer.

"Steve, can I talk to you?" Liz asks, hesitantly.

Steve nods, eyes widening slightly in surprise. He clearly had not been expecting her to acknowledge him today, let alone ask to speak with him.

"In private," she prompts, beginning to walk away.

They walk in silence, passing the desks as they head for her office.

As the pair pass Dot, the man stands and starts to follow beside Liz. He puts a gentle hand on her upper arm to catch her attention. She slows her pace, turning to smile at him, "Hey."

"Hey," he grins, eyes flicking briefly to Steve who is following behind them. They come to a stop outside her office, Dot holding out something for her, "You seemed to like it, so I saved you some."

Liz looks down to what he is holding in his hands. It is a tupperware box full of leftover chilli from last night. She grins up at him, taking it.

"Stops it going to waste," Dot shrugs, evidently bashful about the gesture but nevertheless charming.

"Thank you," Liz says, delighted. It was thoughtful.

Dot nods, smiling, "Pleasure."

Liz watches as he walks away, passing Steve. She rolls her eyes as she sees him send a glare Dot's way. His brow is furrowed, in typical Arnott-fashion, when he turns back to her.

Ignoring him, she moves aside and gestures for Steve to come into her office.

He just stands there, fists clenched, "Is that what you wanted to tell me about?"

"What?"

He turns back to send a glare in the direction Dot went, then looks pointedly to the tupperware in her hands, "That."

Liz sighs, tiredly, "If there was anything to tell you about 'that', I would-"

Suddenly, Steve turns and stalks away, muttering something about being 'busy'.

She stands there for a moment, bewildered, watching as he disappears around the corner.

Soon Liz feels her blood begin to boil. Throwing the tupperware of chilli carelessly onto the chair in her office, she strides determinedly in the direction Steve went. Rounding the corner, she sees him wait by the lift, his hands in his pockets as he stares fixated at the small light around the hailing button.

"What's your problem?" she demands, though she has an idea.

"What do you mean?" he responds, quietly and refusing to look at her. He taps his foot impatiently as he waits for the lift to arrive.

Liz steps forward, making sure she is in his eyeline, "Don't act like an arse. You're the one who just stormed off like a child. Now, what is this all about?"

Steve huffs, finally moving his eyes to look at her, fighting back the wince he feels when he notes her angered scowl, "You tell me."

She waits a moment for her blood to cool before she responds, not bothering to play around what was clearly lingering over them, "Is this about me and Dot?"

"Didn't know there was a 'you and Dot'," he spits.

"There isn't," she insists, infuriated.

"Then what was that?" Steve says through grit teeth, gesturing his head back to the office where Dot would be somewhere.

Liz stays quiet, attempting to bite her tongue. She fails.

"You're such a hypocrite," she growls.

His mouth falls open slightly in surprise but Steve's brow remains deeply furrowed.

She continues, tipped over the edge but his audacity to look offended, "I don't get it. I just don't. Why do you get to go running around sticking your dick in anything that moves without any consideration of the consequences but as soon as I even look in the direction of another man you do this? Whatever the hell this is?"

Steve flinches as she waves her arms in front of him.

"I don't owe you any sort of explanation," she continues, her arms now folding as Liz strains to keep her voice level to avoid the prying ears of the office, "Especially not after all the shit you've pulled."

He glares back at her, Liz immediately regretting the words that fell out of her mouth.

"You think I did it?"

Her heart almost breaks at the dejection in his tone - it would fully shatter if she were not so angry with him.

"You think I slept with Lindsay?"

She swallows, it now being her turn to avoid his eye. Liz closes her eyes briefly as she inhales, attempting to calm herself.

"Honestly?" she asks, Steve looking at her with a mix of desperation and distress, "I don't know what to think."

Just then, the lift dings, the doors opening to welcome Steve in.

The pair just look at each other, sadly.

They never fight like that. Never.

So what happens now?

Liz goes to say something - anything that will rectify the forlornness on his face. Before she can, Steve drops his gaze from her and silently sulks into the lift, the door closing behind him.

She looks after him, hoping he will turn around so she can express whatever she was feeling in a glimpse before the doors fully close. He doesn't.

As the lift descends, Liz feels her stomach drop too. Her throat feels dry and tight.

Immediately heading back for her office, Liz considers whatever the hell just happened and however the heck she was feeling.

She was mad, yes. Steve was being a hypocrite. And he deserved to be called out for it. Liz hadn't lied.

Sure, he had Sam now, but Steve had a terrible history with women and sleeping around. More often than not, it would have disastrous consequences for not only himself but others too. The accusations from Denton were the pinnacle of that. So how could Steve deny it? Of course, she was mad at Steve for that.

Ok, he was her friend and wanted to look out for her, but Steve acted like a jealous arsehole sometimes. Not that he was jealous, he had no real reason to be. He wasn't her father, or her guardian and certainly not her boyfriend. So what did it matter to him what other men she spoke to or decided to spend her time with? Of course, she was mad at Steve for that too.

Alright, he understands her better than most people, but Steve seemed to love making decisions for her. He assures her he believes in her, that he does not doubt her ability when it comes to reading people, so why does he always seem to doubt and question her choices? Of course, she was also mad at Steve for that.

Obviously, he doesn't like the man very much, but Steve doesn't even know what happened between her and Dot. It was only dinner and friendly conversation. It wasn't even anything. And it likely never would be. So why was it any of his business to judge Dot for her? Of course, again, she was mad at Steve for that.

He had done this with Hurrell, and he was doing it now with Dot. Why? It made no sense. Admittedly, she was a little jealous when she learnt of his relationships (if you can even call them that) over the last few years - how could she not be when it meant she spent less time with her friend? But he was being an arse.

What right does he have?

Yes, despite the small, guilty tugs at her heart, she was mad at Steve Arnott.

Stepping into her office, she slams the door behind her and lowers the blind, finally dropping into her seat, exhausted.

All she had wanted was to finally open up to Steve about what had been going on with her. To finally confide in him. To ask for help.

But he blew it.

And for what?

Liz feels a headache begin to form between her brow. Grinding her knuckle into it, in an attempt to relieve the pain, she leans her elbows onto her desk.

She feels her phone vibrate on the further side of the desk. Taking a deep breath to will away the tiresome tears threatening to fall, Liz reaches for it, seeing a new text message.

Matthew Cottan: You OK?

That tips her over the edge. She cries.

The next day, she lifts her head at a knock on her office door.

Her polite smile dissipates when she sees him standing in her doorway. Liz looks back down to her work.

"I spoke with Joe Nash," Steve begins, to her dismay, "one of the men who was at Sands View at the same time as Danny. Said that-"

"What has that got to do with me?" she asks, bitterly, not raising her head from her work.

Steve's mouth gapes, his confidence and hopes they could just move on deflating, "Well, I thought you would want to know seeing as you helped identify-"

"I told you, Maneet did all the work," she says, dryly, "She is an officer. I am just a counsellor."

"I just-"

"Steve, unless you want to schedule an appointment or raise concerns about someone in the workplace, I have a dozen client reports to type p before Denton's trial reconvenes at 14:00," she bites, finally looking up at him. He winces at her dark eyes, "So, if you wouldn't mind shutting the door on your way out."

Liz looks back down to her work. Steve hesitates, taken back by her harsh tone. But, sheepishly, he does as she says.