A/N: Hi, y'all. Here's the final chapter.

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Two days later…

Steve stared in great boredom at the plasma TV hanging on the wall opposite his bed with its volume on mute. He channel-surfed using the remote control, but not a single program piqued his interest and so he promptly switched the TV off. Sighing out loud, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

Hospital sucks…

Earlier in the day, he had been told that his condition was showing positive improvements with no further complications and that he had recovered well enough to be discharged, provided that he stayed away from all strenuous activities for another week at least.

Shane had been informed about it too, but he still hadn't shown up. After four hours of waiting, Steve began to grow antsy. He was already planning to ask for some hospital scrubs to wear and hitch a taxi ride home when his brother finally arrived with Kate.

"Hey, Stevie. Ready to leave?" Shane said, placing a gym bag on the bed. "We've brought a change of clothes for you. Can't have you walking out of the hospital in that silly gown with your arse hanging out, can we?"

Steve glared back. "What took you so long?"

At this, Shane and Kate gave each other a meaningful glance. Steve noticed the odd exchange, and so he asked with a frown, "What? What's wrong?"

Kate managed a quick smile. Pulling the zipper of the gym bag, she then took out a dark jumper and a pair of jeans. "Don't worry about it. Here, mate. Do you need help to change?"

Instead of replying, Steve looked at them both closely. From the way they avoided his eyes, he could tell that something was not right. He also noticed the bluish bruise on Shane's jaw and the small bandage on his temple.

"What the hell happened to you?" he asked his brother.

"You mean this?" Shane softly chuckled, pointing at his face. "You should see the other guy."

"I don't care about the other guy. Are you alright?"

"Never been better."

"Then what's the problem?"

"There is no problem."

"Bullshit!" Steve snapped. "Both of you are hiding something from me. What is it?"

Again, they exchanged telling looks between them. Steve felt so exasperated he nearly screamed.

Why are they being so cagey? What is it that they're not telling me?

And then he knew. "Is it Natalya? Have you found her?"

Shane looked pensively at his feet before raising his gaze back towards his brother. "Yes. We have."

Steve's eyes widened. "Christ…Why didn't you say so? When was she found?"

"Late last night."

A smile began to form on Steve's lips, but it quickly died when he recognized the serious expression on their faces. "What's wrong then? Is she okay?"

"Steve…" Kate began, but she was unable to continue. Instead, she reached over and squeezed his hand.

Steve's face turned as white as sheet when he fully understood. He had to swallow hard before saying, "She's dead…isn't she?"

Shane grimly nodded, while Kate looked absolutely wretched as she replied, "I'm sorry, Steve. When we found her, she had already been dead for hours. We were too late."

Blinking back tears, Steve bit his lower lip to keep it from trembling. He took several deep breaths before he was able to ask, "H…how…how did she die?"

"I'd rather not tell you," Shane said with a shake of his head.

"Just…tell me how she died."

The elder Arnott sighed. "Her abductors cut her throat."

Steve briefly closed his eyes in anguish. "Was she tortured?"

"Steve…"

"Well, was she?"

"Yes."

Steve felt so sick he was close to throwing up. "Where is she now?"

"At the morgue," Kate replied. "Currently undergoing an autopsy."

"Take me to her."

"I don't think that's a good idea, mate. You're still not strong enough."

"Please…" Steve implored them both. "Let me see her…one last time."

Shane and Kate gazed at each other for several moments before she relented, "Alright, Steve. We will take you there."

"I better go and see about your discharge papers," Shane said before walking out of the ward.

Kate patted the neatly folded fresh clothes they had brought for him. "So, do you…uh…need help to get dressed?"

When Steve didn't immediately answer, she gently prodded, "Steve? You alright, mate?"

With a slight jerk, he quickly turned to her. "I'm fine. Can you please go and ask the nurse to come in?"

"Why?"

Steve gestured at the various tubes and wires that were still attached to his body. "Need to get these bloody things off me first."

"Right. Of course." Kate quickly headed for the door. "Will you be alright till I get back?"

"Yeah, sure."

The moment he was left alone, Steve's face crumbled as he promptly broke into tears.

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It took about a half hour drive from the hospital to the city morgue. Sitting in the back seat, Steve didn't speak much the entire way. He just listened with mild interest as Kate and Shane took turns telling him about how they had managed to trace Natalya's whereabouts.

"It was your descriptions about the Russian goon with the injured foot that gave us a major breakthrough," said Shane from behind the wheel of the Range Rover. "Last evening, a private clinic outside Derby instantly reported when a male patient with matching descriptions walked in for treatment. He sported an awful stab wound on his right foot, exactly like you said."

"Patrol units immediately rushed to the clinic to arrest him," Kate then added. "He was handed over to the MVCU, and they spent hours grilling him to make him talk. He finally gave up Natalya's location when Mr. Macho Man here somehow managed to slip into the interview room during an interval, and suddenly the goon was eager to confess everything. By the way, what on earth did you do to him, Shane?"

"Nothing." Shane shrugged. "I didn't even touch him. I simply stood there with a table between us. You can see it from the CCTV."

"You must have said something then."

"Well…yes, I did."

"What did you say? What had terrified him so much that he started to cooperate all of a sudden?"

Shane emitted an icy smile. "I told him that I knew he has a teenaged daughter studying in a private boarding school in Switzerland, and how easily it would be for me to break into that school in the middle of the night while everyone is sleeping. I also said something else, but let's just leave it at that, okay?"

Kate stared wide-eyed at Shane. "Jesus…"

"What happened then?" Steve asked in a flat voice, unperturbed by the sheer sinister of his brother's interrogating technique.

"That man took us to the location where his people had been keeping Natalya," Kate explained. "It was an isolated boatyard in Boston. When we got there, the OCGs were about to dump her body into the river. There was a shootout, a real messy one. In the end, two AFOs and five OCG nominals were badly injured while three others were taken into custody. Thankfully, there's no other casualty."

"Except for Natalya."

"Yes. Except for her." Kate turned around to look at him with sad eyes. "I'm so sorry, Steve. I wish we had arrived there sooner."

"That's alright, Kate. I know you all did your best," Steve quietly said. Turning to his brother, he asked, "And how did you get that colorful bruises on your face?"

Before Shane could reply, Kate sent the elder Arnott a disapproving look. "Shane tagged along with the raid even when he had been told not to."

"Technically, I'm an MI-5 agent until my resignation is finalized. I still have jurisdiction," Shane responded with a shrug. "Besides, thanks to me, I was the first to notice when the Russian oligarch slipped out the side access of the boatyard towards the river. I gave chase and tackled him, we grappled about before we both fell down the embankment, and then I knocked out his sorry arse. The most wanted man by both MI-5 and AC-12 is now in the sole custody of the British Central Police."

To Kate, he said, "So, you're welcome, ma'am."

She rolled her eyes. "I never said thank you, did I?

Shane smiled. "Like I said, you're welcome."

When they reached the morgue soon afterwards, Shane guided his Range Rover into the visitor's parking slot not far from the entrance. He and Kate instantly got out of the car, but Steve continued to sit unmoving in the backseat.

Frowning, Shane retraced his steps and pulled open the rear door. His concern went up a notch when he noticed his brother's ashen face.

"Steve?"

Steve turned to stare at his brother, his entire body slightly trembling. His mouth opened and closed but no words came out.

"Look, maybe this is a bad idea after all," Shane said, deeply worried about his brother's state of mind. "Let's just take you home so that you can—"

"No." Unbuckling his seat belt, Steve gingerly stepped out on shaky feet, grimacing as the movements jarred his injured ribs. He had to brace himself against the car for several moments to gather his equilibrium.

"Okay. I'm fine. Let's get this over with."

They walked inside and were met in the foyer by the local FME, a bespectacled woman in her mid-forties called Dr. Helen Colby. She was no stranger to the two AC-12 officers because they had engaged her expertise in previous cases.

"Dr. Colby, thank you for agreeing to see us," Kate greeted her with a handshake.

"It's my pleasure to assist, DI Fleming," the FME responded before turning to Steve. She instantly noticed his wan features and the creases of pain around his eyes, but she reserved her comments. Instead, she said, "DS Arnott. It's good to see you too."

"Likewise, Dr. Colby." He gestured at Shane. "This is Major Shane Arnott from the MI-5, also happens to be my brother."

"Yes, I've heard," Dr. Colby looked thoughtfully at Shane. "Talking about MI-5, a team of them was here just now, looking none too pleased."

"Oh?" Shane raised his eyebrows. "They didn't raise a ruckus, did they?"

"They insisted to see the body, but I told them to talk with the Central Police first because it is their case now, not the MI-5."

"I'm sure they love hearing that." Shane grinned.

"Hmm…" Dr. Colby smiled back. "Come on. I'll take you to her."

They all followed her through a door on the left, entering deeper into the morgue. Steve took the rear of the procession, his feet heavy with each step he took. His heart was beating faster than ever, and his palms were clammy with sweat. He felt light headed as well but he gamely pushed onward, hoping that the others would not notice the effects that the place had on him.

Dr. Colby led them into one of the cold chambers where a body lay on the autopsy table covered by a light blue sheet.

"We have just finished examining the body when we received your call, DI Fleming," said Dr. Colby. She picked up a file folder from a nearby tray and passed it to Kate.

"The cause of death?"

"Exsanguination, due to the wound at her throat." Walking to the top of the body, Dr. Colby looked up at them and asked, "You really want to see her? I've got to warn you, it is not a pretty sight."

Both Kate and Shane turned to Steve who stood rooted to the spot, swallowing hard as he nodded. "Lift the sheet, please."

Dr. Colby did just that, pulling down the sheet to expose the body to its shoulders. When Natalya's battered face was revealed, Steve had to close his eyes for a few seconds, utterly dismayed beyond words. He reopened them to gaze at his poor beloved, trying to remember the exquisite beauty that she once was. The striking stormy grey eyes that had closed forever, the soft pink lips that had turned almost blue, the smooth porcelain skin that was marked with cuts and bruises. And her shiny blond hair…now lay dull and tangled, covered with dirt.

In the background, Steve could hear Dr. Colby mentioning about some burn marks, lacerations, and several broken ribs, among other things. He tried to ignore it all as it was too hard for him to take in. But suddenly he caught the words 'embryo' and 'placenta' among Dr. Colby's long litany.

"Wait, what?"

Giving him an intense gaze, the FME then gently tugged the sheet back to cover Natalya's head. "We detected a developing embryo in her uterus."

Kate gasped, looking extremely shocked. "Are you saying…she was pregnant?"

"Yes, she was." Dr. Colby sadly nodded. "About four weeks along."

Kate gaped at her partner. "Oh, Jesus…"

Steve's jaw had dropped open, the blood drained off his face.

Is this what Natalya has been trying to tell me?

All of a sudden, there was a loud ringing noise in his ears as black spots appeared in his vision. He repeatedly blinked hard, mere seconds before his knees buckled.

"Steve!"

Shane was instantly there to catch him or he would have hit the floor on his face. They were frantically calling his name, but it seemed as if he had lost his voice to response.

"Is he alright? What's wrong with him?" the FME was heard asking as Steve was being led out of the cold room, supported on each side by his brother and partner.

"DS Arnott has just recently been discharged from the hospital," Kate answered. "He nearly drowned a couple days ago."

"Good God…What the hell is he doing here then? He should be recovering in bed. Look, bring him here into my office. There's a sofa where he can lie down for a bit."

"I'm…f…fine…" Steve managed to whisper, the words a bit slurred.

"No, you're not," Shane softly said, guiding his brother onto the sofa. Steve refused to lie down though. He just sat there, blinking hard and slightly panting.

Staring at Steve's grey face with great concern, Shane then told Kate, "Can you please get him some water?"

"Yeah, sure."

"The water cooler is this way," said Dr. Colby, and the two women walked out of the room.

Shane held his younger brother's face steady in both palms. "Steve? Stevie, look at me."

Steve slowly obliged, trembling with shock. The amount of hurt and despair that Shane saw in those deep brown eyes was so great he knew it would haunt him forever.

"I would've become a father," Steve brokenly whispered. "I would've had a child, and you would've had a niece…or nephew…"

Shane had to swallow hard before replying, "I'm sorry, brother. I'm really, really sorry."

Shaking his head, Steve said with a sad smile, "It's alright. I've seen her…for the last time. Now take me home. Please, Shane...take me home."

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The drive home to Steve's flat was a lot quieter than the previous drive to the morgue. The three of them were still in shock by the discovery of Natalya's pregnancy.

Shane kept glancing at Steve through the rear view mirror. His younger brother had said not a word since they left the morgue, and that worried him immensely. He then looked at Kate, and was surprised to see a lonely tear streaming down her cheek.

Without a word, Shane reached up and gently wiped it away with his thumb. She reached up and caught his hand, holding it tightly in her grip for much needed comfort. They were the closest persons to Steve, so the both of them could sense the great pain that he was under.

"Stop the car," Steve suddenly said from the backseat.

Surprised, Shane jerked around to briefly look at his brother. "I'm sorry?"

"Please stop. Stop the damn car now!"

Shane quickly pulled over and hit the brakes. Even before the Range Rover came to a complete stop, Steve already had his door opened. He stumbled out and rushed off as fast as his injured ribs would allow.

"Steve! Where are you going?" Kate cried out, also getting out of the car. Before she could run after him, Shane had dashed around the front hood to grab her around the waist.

"Kate, wait!"

She glared back and struggled out of his grip. "What do you mean, wait? You saw him just now. He's clearly not thinking straight!"

"Let's just give him a moment. He needs it."

"But he is—"

"I know, Kate. But he needs some time alone. Leave him be." He pulled her closer towards him. Together, they leaned back against the side of the Ranger Rover as they stared at the woods flanking the road where Steve had just ran into.

Fifteen minutes later, and when Steve still had not returned, even Shane started to worry. Glancing at his watch, he briskly announced, "Alright. Time's up. Let's go find him."

The woods were actually a part of the city park, a favorite place for joggers and hikers alike. It stood between the major city road and the large river that flowed from the west toward the North Sea in the east. At this time of year, the river was near freezing.

Shane led the way down a footpath towards the direction of the river. Within minutes, they could hear the sound of flowing water.

"You're taking us to the river," Kate commented.

"Yeah."

"How do you know that's where he will be?"

"Brotherly instinct," Shane said. "Steve loves water."

"Oh." Kate frowned. "You don't think he's going to…uh…you know?"

"Is he suicidal, you mean?" Shane shook his head. "I don't think so, Kate. He is a lot stronger than that."

"Even the strongest person has a breaking point," she muttered.

"I agree. Steve is not the strongest person, nor is he perfect. He has flaws, just like the rest of us. But one thing I know about my brother is that he never gives up. He always keeps fighting, no matter what."

Kate nodded. "Aye. That's true."

Not long after, they emerged onto the paved embankment that stretched along the river as far as the eye could see. Nearby, a road bridge spanned about five hundred meters across the river, connecting the two neighboring towns.

Kate pointed at the bridge. "There he is!"

Turning to look, Shane noticed his brother who stood still at the railing, staring at the river below. He knew Steve would never do anything irrational, but still he felt nervous all the same. With Kate at his side, he ran towards the stone steps that led up the bridge.

It took them a full minute of running before they reached where Steve was standing. At their arrival, he slowly turned around and gave them a sad smile.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to jump," he softly said to assure them. "In the car just now…it was too overwhelming. I had to get some air…some space, or I would go crazy."

"We understand," Shane said, leaning against the railing next to his brother.

Kate flanked his other side. "You are not alone, mate."

Steve's lower lips began to tremble. "I know."

Despite his best effort, Steve couldn't hold back the tears any longer. He instantly burst into heart wrenching sobs. In tears herself, Kate put her arms around her partner and wept along with him. Looking up at the darkening sky, and cursing one Leopold Sullivan to hell and back, Shane gathered Steve and Kate into his strong arms and held them both tight.

Down below, the river continued to flow towards the sea…

THE END

Thank you for reading. Stay tuned for more LOD stories. Later, guys.

"I just want to get to the truth." – DS Steve Arnott

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* ABBREVIATIONS:

AC - Anti Corruption

AFO - Authorized Firearm Officer

CCTV - closed circuit television

DI - Detective Inspector

DS - Detective Sergeant

FME - Forensic Medical Examiner

MVCU - Major Violent Crime Unit

OCG - Organized Crime Group