It's Friday already? Really? Who put the week on fastforward? Seriously, where did that time go? Geez, blink and you miss an entire 7 day period! Sorry for the late update this week, work has been kicking me in the bum resulting in 12 hour work days and very little energy for anything else when I get home. I'm still in the process of writing the next chapter - we've exhausted the bank of pre-prepared chapters I had on stock which I had hoped would see me through the busiest time at the office but I'm hoping to crack on with the story this weekend so normal service should continue. But I just wanted to give you all a heads up in case I skip a week or anything. It's not because I don't love you or because I've lost my love for this story, it's simply a time thing - I need to pause the clock for a week or so, so I can catch up on writing and sleeping!
As always, thank you to those of you continuing to read this and huge, extra special cookie laden thanks to those wonderful people who leave their reviews. It really does help to know someone is liking what they're reading as much as I'm enjoying writing it! So major thanks to A for Antechinus, Sez01 and iheartsergeantsmith for persistently reviewing :)
Same disclaimer applies as previous - I own nothing and no one that you recognise from The Bill, I make no profit nor money of any kind and I promise they'll be returned to their storage containers in one piece when I've finished torturing them!
"Jo, honey, wake up," Lucy called, rubbing her lover's shoulder with her free hand. "It's Sam, she wants to talk to you." The younger brunette handed over the phone as Jo pulled herself into a seated position.
"Hi Sam," she murmured, voice rusty from sleep.
"Hi Jo. Sorry, I didn't mean for Lucy to wake you up especially," Sam apologised to her friend, grateful that Lucy appeared to have forgiven the near miss kiss between herself and Jo, and that she appeared to have phoned before Lorna spoke to them about the day's developments.
"Don't be daft, I'm glad she did. I've missed you, we've not had chance to chat that much recently with one thing and another. How are things? Any word on Katie?" Jo asked as her mind shook off the fog and fully awakened.
"No, nothing as yet. I try to focus on no news being good news – at least we're not dredging her body out of the river or anything." Jo could tell that there was more on Sam's mind than she was letting on and hoped Lucy wouldn't object to her extending an invitation for her colleague to come over for a visit.
"Why don't you come for a cuppa and we can catch up properly? You're not working until later, right?" Jo caught Lucy's eye, squinting a little in fearful anticipation as she waited for a response from both women. Her fiancée simply smiled serenely and placed a kiss against Jo's temple in silent acquiescence.
"Are you sure that would be ok? I mean…" Sam faltered, unsure of how to broach the subject.
"Of course, Lucy and I would love to see you," Jo assured, breath hitching a little as Lucy took the phone from her hand.
"Hi Sam, it's Lucy again. I just wanted to reiterate what Jo said. It really would be great to see you and catch up on your news. Only, if you do come over, can I be really cheeky and ask you to pick up some more milk on the way? Ours might just be ready to turn to cheese by now!" Sam's relieved laughter could be heard by both women on the other end of the phone.
"Absolutely," Sam replied with a smile. "Anything else you want picking up?"
"I don't think so, hang on a sec," Lucy instructed. "Jo, is there anything you're fancying that we haven't got in?"
"Nah, I've got everything I fancy right here, thanks," Jo retorted saucily causing Lucy to playfully slap her and Sam to groan.
"I'll let you both go then but just make sure you're decent before I get there, ok?" Sam teased, so very glad that their light-hearted banter had returned and feeling the need for it more than ever. She only hoped her next phone call would go as smoothly.
"See you shortly," Lucy replied flipping the phone shut without making any promises regarding being decent when their company arrived.
Sam pulled up outside the small, unobtrusive terraced house, stomach flip-flopping with nerves as she considered whether she really should be there or not. On the one hand, she had a burning desire to reconnect with the woman inside but on the other, she also didn't want to add pressure to an already turbulent time or bring added risk to her life. Calling on every reserve of courage she had, the blonde woman climbed out of her Peugeot and made her way on shaky legs to the front door, ringing the bell and holding her breath as she waited for her hostess to answer.
"Sam!" Lorna cried as soon as she opened the door wide enough to see who was calling on her. She gathered her lover into a crushing hug, desperate to prove that the woman before her was real and not some figment of her exhausted imagination. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you somewhere safe?"
"I couldn't… I couldn't let you all down like that. I couldn't leave you to go through this without knowing I was beside you, doing everything I could to help," Sam replied, eyes watering as she felt the rightness of being in Lorna's arms once again.
"I thought I'd lost you," the Scot sobbed into Sam's shoulder, not caring that they were still standing on her doorstep for the world to see.
"I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere," the DI assured softly, running a hand through the thick, luscious flaming locks tickling her cheek.
"But they… they're… you're not safe." Lorna raised her head from its resting place, teeth worrying at her bottom lip as she considered the implications of Sam's refusal to allow herself to be placed under the protection of those trained to keep witnesses safe where necessary.
"Nor is anyone until these people are stopped," Sam countered, cupping Lorna's cheek with her palm.
"Come in," Lorna requested, wanting to never let the other woman out of her sight again.
"Actually, I'm on my way to see Jo and I was hoping you'd come with me? That way, I can fill you both in on what happened and I can catch up with you both before I have to work later."
"I… I can't leave… what if they call again? What if Katie comes home and I'm not here?" Lorna's breathing was frantic, her chest heaving with the onset of a panic attack.
"Deep breaths. Deep, slow breaths, honey." Sam waited a moment or two, breathing herself as she was encouraging Lorna to do. "You can't stay home all the time just in case something happens. You've not left the house in days. Please sweetheart? We can leave Jo's number with Moira…" Sam explained patiently.
"She's not here. I sent her home to get some proper rest and to spend some time with her husband. He's been so kind, so patient but she needs to give him some attention too. I can't expect her to babysit me constantly."
"You don't need babysitting, Lorna. Keeping company, supporting yes but not babysitting. Why don't you text Moira or give her a call on the way to Jo's and let her know where you'll be? I'll let Grace know so she knows how to contact you if there's any news or developments with Katie's case. Please, Lorna, you can't put your life on hold indefinitely." Sam's eyes bore into Lorna's pain-filled green orbs, imploring her to see the sense in what she was saying. "I promise, we won't be out too long. Jo still tires easily and I have to be back at the station by two."
A shiver raced through the Scot's body as a gust of frigid winter wind rushed by them. She gathered her long, boyfriend-style cardigan around her thin body to ward off the worst of the chill. She mentally weighed up her options; to stay home, alone, wallowing in her loneliness or to risk leaving the house to spend time with the woman she was rapidly growing to adore. "OK…" Lorna conceded at length. "OK, I'll come with you. But can we stop off somewhere on the way so I can pick Jo up some flowers or something? I wouldn't feel right arriving empty handed."
"Of course we can. I need to get some milk for them anyway, otherwise we won't be having a cuppa of anything unless you take it black so it's no problem at all," Sam beamed, glad to have the chance to offer Lorna a change of scenery for a while and hoping it might just prove beneficial to the taller woman.
"Will you come in for a second while I grab my purse and a jacket?" Lorna asked softly, so very glad that Sam had opted to stand firm in the face of whatever threat she had received, even as she worried for the detective's safety.
"Sure," Sam agreed, stepping inside the front door and pushing it closed behind her.
"There's just one more thing I need to do before we go," Lorna admitted, suddenly appearing a little bashful.
"Anything you need to do, love," Sam assured with an encouraging smile.
"I just need to do…this," Lorna breathed as she closed the distance between herself and her new partner, capturing inviting lips with her own and offering a physical worship of her mouth. Sam returned the kiss fervently, relishing the contact like a dying man rejoices over water in a desert. They spent long moments clutching tightly to one another, tongues massaging their opposite number, lips crushed together, before drawing away to suck in deep lungs full of air.
"Not that I'm complaining in the slightest but what was that in aid of?" Sam queried when she had regained her breath. There was a husky quality to her voice which sent frissons of desire dancing down Lorna's spine and eliciting a feral growl from the fiery redhead.
"To let you know how happy I am you're here, how much I missed you last night and how much I appreciate your support, even when I try to drive you away," Lorna supplied, arms resting loosely in the small of Sam's back. "Now, I suggest we make a move or Jo and Lucy might have to send out a search party!"
With a quirked eyebrow and a saucy wink, Sam extricated herself from the embrace, trailing fingertips over the soft material covering Lorna's arms. "Come on then, lover-girl before I can't resist you any longer."
"Sam, good to see you. We were beginning to think you were off milking a cow somewhere," Lucy quipped as she opened the door to her lover's best friend. She welcomed the diminutive blonde into their home with a swift warm hug, determined to show from the outset that there'd be no hard feelings between them.
"No, just picking up another passenger along the way," Sam explained, beckoning for Lorna to step into view also.
"Lorna, honey, aw I'm so glad you came. How are you holding up? Come on in out of the cold. Jo will be delighted you've come to visit," Lucy gushed genuinely, pulling a stunned Scot into her arms for a tight hug too. Lorna allowed herself to relax as she felt Sam's hand brush against the small of her back in a supportive and comforting gesture. She returned the embrace with one arm, the other preoccupied with the flowers and reading material she had brought along for Jo. "Come through to the lounge. Lady Muck's sprawled on the sofa with some God-awful made-for-TV movie on," Lucy directed, steering the two women into the room and hooking the milk out of Sam's hands before scuttling off to the kitchen to prepare hot drinks.
"Don't get up on our account will you, Jo?" Sam called as she entered the living room and saw that Jo was indeed stretched full length on the sofa, head propped up on the arm rest at one end while her legs dangled over the rest at the other end.
"Sam! And Lorna too!" Jo cried, pulling herself up from her prone position and striding over to her two friends to give them a proper welcome. She hugged each of them in turn, holding Lorna a little tighter and a few seconds longer than Sam to convey her silent support of her situation.
"I brought these for you," Lorna offered shyly, holding the bag of goodies out towards the detective.
"Oh Lorna, you shouldn't have but thank you," Jo murmured, her praise heartfelt as the gesture touched her greatly. "Look, Luce, aren't these gorgeous?"
Lucy stepped fully into the room and deftly took the mixed bouquet of rich red carnations and delicate white alstroemeria from her lover's hands. "They certainly are. Why don't you three make yourselves comfortable? I'll put these in some water and bring in some drinks. Anyone want some cake with their brew? There's a carrot cake or lemon if anyone prefers that?"
"No cake for me thanks love, I'll just have a glass of water please," Jo requested with a tired smile, feeling a little queasy but not wanting to put a downer on the occasion.
"Coffee and some carrot cake sounds divine, thanks Lucy," Sam replied settling herself into one of the arm chairs before she was shooed out of it and onto the sofa by both Lucy and Jo.
Lorna was directed to sit beside her lover and sank gratefully into the inviting cushions, still weary from the lack of regular sleep or general self-care since Katie's disappearance. "Same for me if that's ok?" she enquired, asking, "is there anything I can do to help?"
"Yes, you can sit there and relax," Lucy told her firmly before spinning on her heel and making her way back to the kitchen.
The three remaining women looked at one another for a moment, each having so many things going through their heads but none knowing where to start. Sam was taken aback back the radical difference in Jo's appearance since the last time she had seen her. Gone were her luscious, long chestnut locks and in its place, a deep maroon coloured bandana with an irregular faint pattern criss-crossing its surface. Her cheeks were pallid, eyes more sunken and her skin taking on an almost translucent appearance as the chemotherapy began to take its toll on her body. The weight she had lost was not insignificant either, though she suspected the same could probably be said of herself and Lorna too.
"Any news on Katie?" Jo asked softly, breaking the silence and looking between the two visitors.
"Unfortunately not, no," Sam admitted, taking hold of Lorna's closest hand and squeezing it gently. "Neil, Grace, Mickey and Terry are all working solely on her case though so hopefully something will come up soon."
"Well, if there's anything Lucy or I can do, anytime, you just let us know, ok?" Jo offered sincerely, leaning forward in her arm chair and patting Lorna's knee briefly. "Even if it's just having someone to sit with you for a while and keep you company, I can manage that, even on days when I've been zapped - if you don't mind me puking and passing out at random intervals!" As always, Jo hid her message amongst her usual sardonic humour.
"Is the chemo as awful as you expected it to be?" Sam asked softly, slight frown marring her brow as she cast a glance over her friend's disease ravaged body.
"It has it's grim days but in between treatments, I think my body's adapting to the constant tiredness and nausea now. Obviously, my hair has been a casualty but hey, I'd had the same style for too long anyway. It was time for a change." Jo attempted to brush off the side effects as though they were nothing more than minor inconveniences but both Sam and Lorna saw right through her.
"Jo…" Sam growled but the brunette just shook her head.
"I'm ok with it, or getting to be at least. It's less of a shock every time I look in the mirror and I know that it's only temporary until I finish my treatment and kick this thing into touch," Jo expanded.
"I hope that's not me you're talking about there," Lucy stated with mock annoyance as she brought the drinks in on a tray, along with sugar and the milk Sam had brought.
"Of course not, you're not a 'thing', you're my fiancée!" Jo assured her, grabbing her around her waist and pulling her into the chair on top of her, wincing a little as a stray elbow collided with her still tender surgery site.
"Fiancée?" Sam queried excitedly.
"Yep. I finally pulled my head out of my arse and agreed to marry Luce. I had my eyes opened to the fact that waiting for the perfect time might mean I miss the chance altogether so…" Jo shrugged bashfully.
"Congratulations, both of you. I can't think of a more deserving couple than you two," the blonde DI cooed with a beaming smile.
"I agree. Life is definitely too short to spend it waiting for the timing to be perfect. You make a lovely couple," Lorna agreed warmly, looking at the two women together for the first time and seeing instantly how well suited they were to one another. Their mutual love was obvious from their interactions and from the way they lost themselves in each other's gaze.
"Thank you. Of course, when we set a date, we'd love for you both to be there," Lucy informed them, knowing that, whilst they hadn't agreed on a guest list as yet, Jo would want to celebrate their union with her closest friend and that friend's partner. She herself hoped that Katie too would be able to make it to their wedding day. She was gratified to see both of them nod their assent that they would indeed make every effort to attend. She carefully extricated herself from Jo's lap, not wanting to risk further injury to her lover, and settled into the remaining arm chair comfortably.
"So how about you two? Are you officially 'together' together? Or are you just keeping it casual at the moment?" Jo queried, never one to beat around the bush when she wanted to know something.
Lorna looked a little stunned that Jo should know about the nature of her relationship with Sam given that she had been absent for much of the time they had been growing steadily closer. "We… uh… I,"
"Relax Lorna, you're amongst friends here," Lucy assured her, slapping Jo on the thigh for putting the frighteners on the Scot.
"We've not really discussed it directly," Sam admitted before focusing on Lorna alone, "but I know that what I feel isn't just a casual fling or some passing curiosity. There's no one else I want to be with right now." Lorna's deer-in-the-headlights mask melted, replaced by a beatific smile.
"Sam…" the redhead murmured breathlessly, wondering how she could cause such a strong reaction in her with such a simple gesture.
Jo and Lucy exchanged a warm smile, Lucy wrinkling her nose up in adoration at the connection they were witnessing. Jo winked at her playfully in a move which suggested she had known precisely what she was doing when she asked the question of her friends.
The four women chatted amiably over their drinks, sharing innocuous tales of their lives in the time they had not seen one another before Sam admitted that something had happened to shake her up. It was the first Jo and Lucy had heard of it, Lorna not having had chance to call the previous night due to her own distress.
"I received a package, posted to me at home. I opened it last night and… it was an eyeball which we are assuming is human but lab results should be back fairly soon. Along with it, as if that wasn't bad enough, was a cryptic but explicit threat that I am under surveillance and if I don't stop pursuing those who hurt Dawid, I can expect a whole world of pain to follow."
"Dawid?" Lucy queried, the name vaguely ringing a bell but not being able to place it.
"The case I was working on before I had to take sick leave, a young lad taken by some very bad people," Jo supplied briefly before turning her attention back to the DI. "So what's being done to protect you?"
"I was supposed to go to a safe house last night. They offered me witness protection until it's over but I refused to go." Sam took hold of Lorna's hand, clasping it between both her own as she continued, "I couldn't just walk away from everything I've worked for, everyone I care about and hope that somehow justice is done and I can come back. I need to be here. I need to do my job so the others can focus on getting Katie back safe and sound. And I need to be with Lorna."
"The eyeball… what if it's… it could be…" Lorna struggled to explain what she was trying to say.
"It's not Katie's," Sam assured her confidently.
"How can you be sure?" Lorna asked dejectedly, trying to wrestle her hand back from Sam but Sam resolutely hung on to the flailing limb.
"Because Katie has your eyes, your beautiful emerald green eyes. The one I received…wasn't green," Sam explained softly, not wanting to offer too much in the way of gory details given Lucy's presence. The sense of relief emanating from Lorna was palpable, echoed by Jo and Lucy's own relief.
"Does it make me a horrible person to be glad to hear that?" the Scot queried timidly.
"Not at all. It just makes you human," Jo assured the older woman. "You will be careful, won't you, Sam? I mean, from what I've heard, these are not people to be messed with lightly. Didn't you say others who've tried to investigate them have met with all manner of 'accidents'?"
"Of course I'll be careful. For too long, they have been allowed to get away with their intimidation of witnesses and law enforcement. It's time to turn the tables on them and this time, we have evidence to bring them down. Evidence which won't magically disappear because someone interferes with the investigation. The only people working this have all been thoroughly checked out and can be vouched for – even those at MI5 apparently. Now they're involved, there's a lot about the case we don't know but Jack assures me that progress is still being made and I'd be willing to bet that the heat is on which is why they are stepping up the campaign to get us to back off. I knew what I was getting involved in before I went to Jack with what we'd found. I'm not about to back down now just because that's what they'd like me to do."
"How's our newest resident? Finding the accommodations to your liking I trust?" a gruff voice sounded close to Katie's ear. The blindfold had remained on since she had been locked in there on a scratchy, lumpy mattress and she had no way of knowing if that was hours, days, weeks or months ago. She had been offered little in the way of food or water, not that she would trust anything they gave her anyway. Whatever that place was that they were holding her in smelt damp and musty. She was awakened from her fitful sleep frequently by the clanking of old sounding pipes and machinery and the occasional scream from somewhere not too far away.
"The man asked you a question, bitch," another voice barked aggressively.
"No! You don't lay a hand on her. I don't care about her answer or her comfort but I do care about the profit I'm going to make on her. If there is so much as a scrape on her when the time comes to move her, I will find out who is responsible and personally cut off the offending appendage which inflicted the damage with a rusty knife. Do I make myself clear?" the first voice spat.
"Yes sir, perfectly clear."
"Good. See to it that she gets cleaned up. There are just a few final details to iron out and then we can proceed with the transaction. Take her to the shower room but she cleans herself. You can watch, you can even touch yourselves if you must but no one and I mean no one lays a single finger or anything else on her, in her or near her. If she proves difficult, we'll bring her mother in. For every refusal, the mother will pay with a part of her body. That should encourage her to be compliant, if she cares about her family at all."
"Yes sir," the second voice grudgingly acknowledged. A booted toe nudged Katie's thigh firmly but not roughly enough to leave any kind of mark. "Come on bitch, on your feet. Time to take a shower."
She was steered through a maze of corridors, eyes still blindfolded which hampered her movements and her sense of direction. Eventually, she was brought to a halt, breath catching in her throat as icy cold water poured down unexpectedly on top of her.
"Lose the clothes but keep your blindfold on," she was instructed harshly. Remembering what her captor had said about her mum, Katie hurried with frigid, uncooperative fingers to comply with the order. "Now clean yourself up and be quick about it, we don't have all day."
"I'm not sure this is a good idea, Sir. I've seen this guy before, he teaches at her school," Stuart attempted to persuade the man he had to serve that he could be walking into a trap.
"I'm aware of that Mr Turner. He assures me that it is his exposure to her at the school which led him to wish to purchase her for himself. We have completed numerous background checks on him, through various sources. He is who he says he is, of that we can be assured. No undercover agent has an identity so thoroughly constructed that my people on the inside can't find a chink in it. He has pedigree for this kind of transaction, I've actually seen examples of his handiwork for myself and he is rather gifted at this type of thing. Relax Mr Turner, Samantha Nixon is too busy chasing shadows and Lorna Hart has not left her house since her dear daughter disappeared. They are the only two you mentioned we should be concerned about, are they not? Or were you holding out on us?"
"No, no not at all, I wouldn't…" Stuart stammered placatingly. "If you're sure we can trust him, I defer to your judgement."
"Wise man. Now, I think it's time for you to get your hands dirty again don't you? And I have the perfect assignment for you…"