Alice heard a knock at the door; she wasn't expecting anyone so she gently opened the door, just a fraction, so she could see who it was.

"Chief Superintendent. How nice to see you. It's been some time." Alice opened the door a little wider when she realised who it was.

"It's just Inspector now. Bloody brass in Melbourne had me up on a disciplinary and…" he waved his hand around in the air then said, "police politics…so…you know Inspector it is…for now."

"Yes. I do know." Alice looked at him and saw he was carrying a basket.

"Have you been shopping?" Alice pointed to the basket.

"No. It's from Jean…for you. Can I come in?"

Alice stepped aside and let Matthew in; she locked the door behind them. Matthew looked at Alice questioningly and raised his eyebrow. She just looked at him and said "habit."

Matthew emptied the contents of the basket for Alice and explained the leftovers and the cake.

"Have you eaten yet Alice? Looks like you've just got back from work." She shook her head and Matthew looked around the kitchen for a plate. As he was looking through her cupboards she turned and asked what he was doing.

"Just looking for a plate and some cutlery. Turn your oven on please."

Alice looked at him in disbelief; he was wandering around her kitchen, making himself at home. And giving her orders, mores to the point! Alice placed her hands on her hips and said, "this is my kitchen you know?"

Matthew looked over his shoulder at her and said, "yes. I know but I'm sorting you dinner. Now sit down."

Alice was too shocked to reply so she took a seat at the small table in her kitchen. Matthew took off his jacket and tie, unbuttoned his top button of his shirt and rolled up his sleeves. He warmed Alice's dinner and brought her over a glass of water.

"Now eat." Matthew pointed at the meal he had placed in front of Alice.

On this occasion, she did as she was asked; she was starving, and it smelled so good. There was silence between them as Alice ate her meal, but Matthew kept looking at her as he was deciding what to say to her.

"Alice? Jean and Lucien told me what happened."

"When?" asked Alice.

"At the Colonist's Club…and the hospital…with Orton and…" he leaned over, making sure Alice could see his movements and placed a hand over hers.

"I'm sorry I didn't get in touch, but I didn't know. Lucien never mentioned it on the phone. I don't want you to think I didn't care Alice."

Alice looked up at Matthew, took her hand from his and said, "you didn't even say goodbye when you went to Melbourne…" She said it rather of matter of factly but Matthew understood why she might be annoyed.

"I'm sorry. It all happened so quickly…the brass in Melbourne had me on the phone for days giving me Hell. Then, they phoned and told me to get down to Melbourne for the investigation. I cleared my desk and had to leave that day. I should have mentioned it to you. We work well together; you, me and Lucien and I enjoy it, in a funny sort of way. I am sorry."

Alice cleared her throat and stood up, placing her empty plate and cutlery in the sink. She held onto the edge of the sink, trying to choke back tears. She wasn't sure why Matthew was here; she wasn't sure why he was being so nice to her and she wasn't sure why this made her want to cry.

"Thank you for saying that Matthew. As long as you are ok." She cleared her throat again and wiped the one silent tear that had fallen down her cheek. She turned around and said, "if that's all? Thank you for the dinner, it was lovely. I'll give Mrs Beazley a call and thank her for sending it with you."

"Are you dismissing me Alice?"

"It's Doctor Harvey, Inspector. As well you know." Alice said this far more abruptly than she had intended but tried to keep her composure and walked in the direction of her door, expecting Matthew to follow her. He didn't.

"Alice?" Matthew called when she was halfway down her hallway.

She turned to look at him, realising he hadn't followed her. She saw him stand up from the table, but he never moved. She was starting to feel uncomfortable and she wanted him to leave. Alice stood firm and never said a word; Matthew realising she was about to stage a standoff, walked towards her. When he reached her, he said, "you're angry with me?"

"No!" she said rather abruptly.

"Alice, I can see you are angry with me. I'm sorry. I came over here to see you when I finished at Mycroft Avenue. Jean told me she had passed on the messages to Lucien that you were asking after me, but he told me he had forgotten to mention it. Alice? Look at me Alice. My father was a mean drunk, he used to beat me and Vera. I hate bullies and Beaufort's a bully and Orton's a bastard: a dead one. If I'd been here…"

Alice was trying her best no to cry; she didn't want to cry in front of Matthew, but the last few weeks had left Alice frayed at the edges.

"Please leave Matthew. Please?" she whispered.

"No one deserves what you've been through Alice. No one. From now on, if anything happens, you come to me…or Lucien. Do you hear me Alice? Promise me, please?"

Alice stood there and started to cry, silent at first then he heard her breath hitched, and Matthew went to take Alice into his arms for a hug, but she raised her hand and said "no…no…I can't. Don't touch me. Please…"

He took a step back to take himself out of Alice's immediate vicinity, but when she placed her hand over her mouth and sobbed, a heart-breaking sob that Matthew couldn't ignore, he reached out to take the hand that wasn't over her mouth. He squeezed her hand and ran his thumb over her knuckles then moved closer and closer until he was inches from her. The sobbing was so hard that she was shaking, and she seemed to gently hit Matthew's chest and as she did, he wrapped his arms around her. He just stood there and let her cry.

He could feel Alice's tears soaking through his shirt, but he wasn't going to move her unless she moved first; Matthew just rubbed one hand up and down her back and the other, he wrapped around her shoulders.

As the tears started to subside, Alice realised she'd soaked through Mathew's shirt; she also realised she really needed a handkerchief to wipe her nose but hers was in her cardigan pocket, in the living room. Matthew could feel her squirm a little under his hold, so he reached into his trouser pocket and handed Alice a handkerchief.

"It's clean, I promise" he laughed gently.

Alice took the handkerchief and dried her eyes then blew her nose as she took herself out of Matthew's arms. He could see her eyes were very red and her face was blotchy, she was also redder on the side of her face she had been leaning on Matthew.

Still trying to control some tears, Alice pointed at Matthew's shirt and said, "I'm so very sorry about the shirt."

Matthew looked down and said, "don't worry about it, it'll dry in no time." He smiled at her and said, "how's about you make us a cup of tea and we can have a slice of some of that cake Jean sent over?" Alice knew he was trying to make light of the situation and she was glad of it. She took a deep breath and walked to the kitchen, hoping this time, Matthew would follow her.

"Is it still milk and two sugars?"

"Yes thanks, that would be lovely. Do you want to eat it here or shall we go into the living room? Would be nice to see another room in your house!" he nudged Alice in a joking way and smiled.

"You take the cake and the forks, and I'll bring the tea."

When Matthew disappeared, Alice stood waiting for the kettle to boil; she wasn't sure why she had allowed Matthew to see her cry and she sure as Hell didn't know why he was still here after she had just cried in his arms for the last 10 minutes. Matthew Lawson was a strange one. As she stood there, making the tea for her and Matthew, she thought about how she was more comfortable with Lucien these days; he was tactile, touching her hand or her shoulder. He even touched her face, that day after she left the police station and Munro had questioned her about the Orton case. Maybe she was allowing people in a bit more. Maybe she had realised that Lucien and Matthew were not like her father; they were not like Orton and the rest of his lot. She realised, standing there in her kitchen, that perhaps Matthew and Lucien, and Mrs Beazley for that matter, were genuinely kind people and wanted nothing from her. As she had this thought, she lifted the two mugs of tea, and took them to the living room then handed one to Matthew.

Alice sat down next to Matthew on her little sofa; she didn't have any other chairs because it was usually just her in the flat and she rarely had visitors. They sat in silence, drank their tea and shared a piece of the chocolate cake Jean had sent round.

"Matthew…" Alice turned slightly on the sofa, setting her mug on the coffee table. Matthew turned to look at Alice and raised his eyebrows in a question.

"I'm sorry. I…I didn't mean to…I'm not angry with you…I'm glad you're back."

Matthew put his mug down, took Alice's hand and said, "it's been tough for you for a while Alice. I know you're not great with change and I'm sorry I didn't get in touch. It was selfish…I know it was, but I thought I was going to lose my job. A job I've worked my arse off for years, and sacrificed things in my life for…hearing what happened to you, I think you understand more than anyone else…don't you?"

Alice nodded silently then looked down at Matthew's hand holding hers.

"Matthew? I was wondering…?"

Matthew looked over at Alice, waiting for her to finish what she was going to say.

"I know we've known each other for some time…professionally but…I don't have many friends. Well, there's Lucien and …"

Matthew said, "there's also Jean. She's a great friend to me. Let her in Alice, I know no one like Jean Beazley and she'll never let you down." Matthew looked at his hand holding Alice's, rubbed his thumb over her knuckles and said, "…and there's me." He looked up to meet her eyes and said, "is that what you were going to ask? Shall we be friends?"

"Yes…I'd like that…if you would?"

Matthew let go of her hand, picked up his mug and took a sip of his tea; before he put the mug down her said, "of course I would. I'll be a lucky man to have a friend like you Alice Harvey."

Alice blushed, leaned down to pick up her mug and continued drinking her tea.

"I think I'm the lucky one" she whispered but Matthew heard her and looked over and said, "dinner on Friday with Lucien and Jean? Jean invited us over. Shall I pick you up from the hospital when I'm finished at the station? I can pop home and change out of my uniform and we can head over to Mycroft Avenue together after that? I'll get a bottle of wine to take with us."

"That's sounds lovely" Alice said with a smile.