Disclaimer: Jo and Sam aren't mine. Sorry for the long wait, life got in the way again! Three more chapters for you, though the last one ends on a cliff hanger that won't be updated for a few weeks (just to make you sweat!) Just to warn you, I'm not updating again until I have at least five more reviews (from different people!) So you might have to find some more readers for me if you want another update!

Chapter 35:

"That was horrible." Jo said, sitting in the passenger seat of Sam's car.

"I did warn you."

"Yeah, but… oh well, you dad seemed really nice, it's a shame I can't get to know him."

"Oh I almost forgot, we're meeting him for lunch if that's okay with you."

"Yeah, that'd be great. Where abouts?"

"Oh just a pub I used to drink at, I've got a mate who works there who would be very disappointed if he knew I was in the area and didn't introduce you to him."

"Okay. Does he know about me then?"

"No, he doesn't actually. We lost touch about two years ago, no reason, just in different places and didn't really find time to speak anymore. He used to be a good friend; I'd hate to think I've been this close to him and didn't even call in to say hi. I hope you don't mind."

"No, no of course not. If he were a friend of yours then I'd like to meet him sweetie. What time are we gonna go there?"

"Oh not 'til one. That gives us…" The blonde looked to her watch, "three hours for me to show you the place I grew up. I can show you all the, er, sights. If you can call them sights, it's more like, parks and gardens mainly."

"That sounds nice, relaxing. We can just spend some time walking round them. See how many people you can recognise."

"Yeah, I wonder how many introductions I'm gonna have to do today. Probably quite a few, they're kinda a close knit community here, I know practically everyone. People seem to move here for life. I'm one of the few that moved out of the area, most of my childhood friends still live and work round here."

"Aw, that's sweet. What made you want to move away?"

"Oh I dunno really. I didn't like the quietness, I needed some excitement. I always planned on just going to the Met for a few years and coming back here to join the local force. But I got addicted to the adrenaline; I couldn't face working in a force that the most eventful crime is a kid nicking a loaf of bread because their pregnant mother was hungry. This kind of life is too mundane when you've experienced the Met. You must know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do I suppose. It'd be nice to visit places like this though, for holidays and stuff."

"Well we will then. There's a village in Somerset that I used to be taken to on holiday as a kid. I'll take you there next time we've both got holiday. I know the man who owns a cottage out there that he rents, I'm sure he'd give me a discount."

"Old flame?"

Sam blushed, "Yeah, he was actually. You don't mind do you?"

"No of course not. It sounds like a great idea. I'd like that. Going on holiday, I mean, not you meeting up with an old flame."

"Hey! I am a one woman…woman. I don't want anyone but you."

"Well good." The brunette said, almost huffily but obviously joking.

"Good." Sam replied in the same stroppy tone before starting up the engine and attempting to remember the route.

Jo looked around at the park they were sitting in. "I like it here."

"Jo, we're sitting on a bench in-between an ice cream van and a bin."

"Yeah, but, it's nice, this place, the quietness. It's so easy to relax."

Sam thought to herself for a moment, before suggesting "Well, why don't we stay here for a bit."

"What, like the rest of the day?" Jo asked, confused, thinking they were staying the day anyway.

"No, I mean like, for a week or two."

"What about work?" Jo questioned, secretly revelling in the idea of not going straight back to Sun Hill.

"Well, you'll be allowed time off for at least a week."

"What about you, are you just gonna pop down in the evenings?" Jo said sarcastically. Not meaning to sound rude, but unsure of how it would work.

"No, I was thinking that maybe I could take some time off. You need to be with someone, you're not fully over what happened, you need someone to look after you for a while."

"I don't need baby sitting Sam."

"You can't be alone Jo. You know that as well as I do, stop being so…so…you"

"What do you mean by that?" Jo asked, anger in the tone she used.

"So stubborn and strong. You need to let go of your emotions. Cry, scream, yell, threaten to kill Stuart, anything, just don't bottle them up inside."

"I have cried."

"Not properly you haven't. You've shown no anger towards Stuart for what he did."

"I can't."

"Can't what? Can't cry or can't be angry?"

"Be angry." Jo admitted, instantly regretting letting her guard slip.

"Why?"

"Can we go somewhere? Back to the car maybe, I can't sit here in a park and explain."

"Okay. But then you tell me what's wrong, what's really wrong, alright?"

"Yeah, okay."