Bloodlines

Authors Note: This is part of a series of conversations set after episodes, I have put this as Chapter 2, but could be considered a one shot as well. Hope you enjoy!

Since Michael had returned to his office, he had been buried in a mountain of paperwork. He hated paperwork, since becoming DCI he felt like it was all he was doing, he was almost relieved when there was a knock at his door. "come in!" he smiled defiantly relieved to see it was Jackie with two drinks in her hand. She kicked the door closed behind her walking forward and handing him a coffee "thanks" she smiled as she sat down.

"thought you could use a break!" she pointed to his paperwork. "Helen Drummond! Did not see that one coming!" she smiled. He nodded.

"So… Robbie's tip off was your women's intuition then?" he smirked. She blushed slightly.

"yeah, well he owed me one!"

"oh, …do I want to know why?" He smirked.

"probably not!" she laughed.

"alright, don't tell me!" he held his hands up in surrender. They sat for a moment; he could tell there was something on her mind. He saw her with Stuart and to the casual observer she looked normal, laughing and joking but he had been around her long enough to know better. "how are you doing?" as she was about to say she was fine, the look on his face told her not to even bother. She exhaled loudly.

"I'm ok, it was tough Michael, being in that house with her. The women who had killed five people, that made a mark in my life that never went away, like you said. My family were, still are the just get your head down and get on with it type" He nodded. "She remembered me you know!"

"you didn't say!" he was surprised.

"didn't seem important!" she lied.

"of course, it is!" he was irritated with himself for letting her go through with the protection detail. He should have known that she was struggling with it when she refused to take Susan shopping. More so that she went to Robbie for advice and not him. "I'm sorry Jackie!" she took another sip of her tea.

"I had this monster in my mind and spending time with her, I had started to see a person. I came to think that she didn't mean to destroy so many lives. She was not the monster I grew up hearing about. I had started softening to her, and that was before I had known that she hadn't actually killed the Kerr's. I don't know how I feel about that!" She stopped sipping her tea and looking at him. "You didn't for once treat her like a monster. I don't know how you did that. More so I don't know if I want to be able to do that." She bit her lip.

"compassion for a killer, is not a bad thing Jackie. It makes you good at your job!" she sighed. "also means you're a good person!" she shook her head. "You have always seen more than black and white, right and wrong more so than me, it's some I admire about you. The difference this time was it I was too close to home for you!"

"maybe!" She finished her tea. "right, I'll let you get back to it!" She got up out of the chair.

"Jackie?" he said concerned.

"sorry, I'm fine! I'm just tired Michael, didn't sleep much in that house!" she smiled, but it was not convincing.

"ok, head home early, Stuart and I can deal with Helen!" she nodded. She opened the door turning back to him, hovering at the door.

"oh, em. Stuart said you are moving office?"

"yeah, they are going to use this room as storage room for the tech room next door, so I get a bigger office!" He smiled.

"going up in the world!" she smirked. "well, if you need help moving things across let me know!"

"will do!" he smiled. "and Jackie, my door is always open for you! Even if the office is different!" she smiled. Leaving his office, closing the door behind her.