The following morning Amy checked out of the hospital, toting with her just the clothes on her back and a heavily bandaged forearm that sat uncomfortably in a sling. Evan met her at the entrance to the hospital, her safe escort back to his flat. She could no longer stay in her own flat, for fear that Barron and those who associated with him had put a price tag on her head, determined to have her wiped out of the Victoria Police. The kindly woman who lived across the street from Amy's block of flats and with whom Amy had become friends with during her short time in Melbourne, had volunteered to gather her possessions for her and had her grandson deliver them to Evan's flat several suburbs away, eliminating hopefully, any links that any bent copper could grapple onto. Evan and Amy certainly couldn't return to the flat. Not now.

Amy didn't return to work. She didn't go to Ned's funeral. She couldn't. She knew that the way in which they were going to bury him was falsified and wrong, and they would tell the mourners that he had been killed in the line of duty. But Amy and Evan knew he hadn't. And she knew Barron would still be on the prowl, knowing he hadn't succeeded fully in his attempt at exterminating her.

Her first night out of hospital, she attempted sleep on Evan's couch, but was unable to get comfortable with her injured arm always getting in the way. Sleeping on the floor beside her was Alex, a constant fixture in Amy and Evan's runs for safety ever since he had arrived in Melbourne,

"Amy?" he whispered into the darkness, his hands behind his head staring up at the ceiling.

Amy just grunted in reply, beginning to get frustrated that she couldn't sleep. So much was weighing so heavily on her mind, and coupled with the pain that constantly radiated from her arm still, sleep seemed an impossible task. Without thinking she slithered awkwardly off the couch, as if out of habit, and onto the floor beside Alex, instantly settling into the curves of his chest. Her fingers lingered over his heart and hovered over the tattoo that spelt her name. She still couldn't believe he had gone and done something like that. It seemed like such an extreme thing to do. But nevertheless, no matter how incredulous she was, she was touched somewhere deep inside.

He slipped a warm arm around her, and rubbed at her shoulder soothingly. "How did you get yourself into this mess Amy?" he whispered, moving his hand to her hair, stroking the strands that tumbled from her head effortlessly.

She just shrugged in reply, not knowing an answer. "I don't want to be running for the rest of my life Alex," she whispered at last.

He shuffled a little in his position on the floor so that he could look her straight in the eye, something that seemed harder to do the more he thought about it.

You leave me breathless the way you look at me

They both seemed lost for words for a moment, back together, so close, for the first time in a long time. At that moment they both missed desperately the fire that used to simmer between them a year ago when they had first been in love. Amy knew that it was perhaps an impossible dream to think that they could go back to the way they were, but she clung to it desperately because above all else, it seemed to be the only stable thing she could rely on in her life. With Alex everything might not have always been ok, but at least she was happy.

"Am I crazy? Can I still do this job?" she asked in the darkness, fully aware that she had never once questioned whether she could do this job up until now. But times had changed. She'd been shot at since then, something that still paralysed her with fear just thinking about it.

I can say anything crazy

and know you'll catch me right before I hit the ground

"You're not crazy," his sentences were still devoid of any nicknames he might've called her in the past, because he was still so unsure whether the same fire they both remembered was appropriate right now and could be recaptured back again.

"But…" she stumbled on her words, suddenly so aware that she was in Alex's arms again, the place she had longed to be for so long. "I've never questioned this before Alex," she pressed on, seeking a reassuring answer that would ease her worries. "Do I still seem like the same person? Do I still seem like the copper I was in Mt Thomas?"

If you still see what I see

Keep holdin' on

Hold onto me

Alex could see the desperation in her eyes – questioning her integrity, her self worth, her strength. Now was the time for concrete reassurances, and he decided that if they couldn't go back to the way they were, they should at least enjoy this quiet night moment on the floor of Evan's living room. "You'll always be my Amy," he whispered truthfully to her.

It wasn't the answer she was after, but it helped all the same. "I wish I'd never left." She snuggled closer to him, feeling safe, and her fingers brushed over the tattoo on his chest before their eyes connected. "God…I miss you so much."

He turned on the floor to face her front on and eased her lips towards his and kissed her, taking everything he couldn't bring himself to say and poured it into her.

Almost forgot what it was like

To know what love feels like with you

Amy's mobile rang early the next morning and it jolted her unpleasantly awake at Alex's side. Grappling at the coffee table she fumbled with her phone and answered it on the fifth ring. "'lo?" she mumbled sleepily into the phone, trying to sit up. She reached out for Alex awkwardly, who had also been stirred awake thanks to the ringing of the phone and he helped her to lean with her back against the couch.

"They've arrested me on some bullshit charge," Laura Grimaldi whispered harshly into Amy's ear. Laura spat out her words, and in the background Amy could hear the noises she knew came from the busy 5th floor of Homicide. They'd got her. Amy looked at Jonesy with wide eyes as he sauntered into the room, rubbing at his eyes, the first streaks of morning waking him slowly.

"What do you mean?" Amy asked urgently, wondering at the same time where she even got the strength from to still act like a copper. The last few weeks, and the last few days especially had been like a beating, and she wondered if she could possibly go on.

Laura continued to bubble over with anger as she answered Amy's questions. "They're shitting themselves about the info I've kept on them and they pulled out all stops to find me."

"Where were you?" Amy still remained very confused, and rubbed at her temple with her other hand, gingerly avoiding putting her bandaged forearm to too much use.

"I was in Surry Hills…an old friends place," she replied, the sound of defeat beginning to invade her tone of voice. "Someone from the street must've blabbed. No way would any of you coppers know this place. Somebody's been tempted by Barron. It was him that arrested me."

Amy frowned, closeing her eyes for a moment as she tried to work out what to do next. It was a near impossible situation. She couldn't go in and defend Laura, because she was supposed to be on the side of the police, but right now, the police had two sides. Only a legal counsel could help Laura now. That or a miracle. Amy didn't know what to say.

"Laura…" she stumbled on her words, feeling useless in the advice and help she could offer the poor girl. "I don't know what I can do…I…I can't help." She gulped down the lump that was rising in her throat. "They're after me too."

While sharing this valuable information over the telephone Amy realised with a start that they could even be onto her phones. She became restless instantly and tried to end the conversation with Laura. "They'll release you. They know that Dylan will come and put up the bail for you…it's their way of getting him out into the open again. They want Dylan. Barron wants Dylan." Amy was putting the pieces of the puzzle slowly together in her head.

"What if he doesn't come? What if he doesn't hear about me being in here?" Laura almost shrieked. Amy was taken aback by her niavity at that point. Of course Dylan would hear about it. Barron arresting Laura would be the biggest news on the street in months. She was disbelieving that Laura hadn't already worked that out, but then, remembering back to her moment of staring down the barrel of a gun with Barron at the other end and not realising it soon enough, Amy quickly understood Laura's slow reactions.

"He'll come. Find me when you're out." And with that she threw the phone down on the living room floor as if it was on fire. She put her head in her hands again and shook her head within them sadly. Jonesy bent over her and rubbed at her shoulder reassuringly. She looked up at him, tear filled eyes making up the vast majority of her broken expression. Never before had he seen Amy Fox look so doubtful, so afraid and so hollowed out. It was a scary image that haunted him wherever he went. "What if they're still onto me?" she asked the two men, fear filling her voice. "What if they're in my phone? This place? My car? Your car?" She began to panic as she sat there on the floor, staring wide eyed at her surroundings as if something would jump out at her. Just like with Barron's presence, something scary still seemed to be around every corner, even in her little sanctuary where she was protected by two of her closest confidantes. Paranoia was again beginning to settle in. But this time it was well justified.

"Amy." Alex began, but stopped short when he saw that she only had eyes for Evan. He was her partner in the mess. Alex was disconnected from it all somehow. It made Alex pick himself up off the floor where he sat beside Amy and onto the couch across the room. He watched as two of the most important people in his life shared a look of dread he himself could never completely understand.

The hours ticked by, and Amy and Evan seemed reluctant to leave their hideout. The curtains remained closed, and nobody left the tiny flat. Amy's phone remained on the floor where she had thrown it, and she lay on the couch where she slept on and off until mid afternoon when her mobile phone rang again.

The three of them, spread around the main domain of Evan's flat, eyed the phone suspiciously as it flashed and rang. Finally Amy leaned over, and still handling it uncomfortably, she answered the call. Of course it was Laura, and this time she sounded positively hysterical.

"He promised to be back in half an hour Amy! He hasn't come back!!" she was almost yelling down the phone, no explanation, no introduction, just pure hysterical screeching. Amy wondered what she did to ever get herself embroiled in such a bloody mess.

"Who? Dylan? Did he bail you out?" Amy was so sure he had.

She was right. "Sent his cousin down to pick me up," she finally ceased speaking in her riddles. "Organised for Dylan to drop ten grand at Barron's feet this afternoon. Two o'clock Amy! He should've been back by now!"

Amy grabbed at Evan's wrist beside her and stared at his watch. 3:10pm. Amy had a bad feeling. It only takes a moment to kill someone she thought silently. She spoke soothingly into the phone in an effort to lower Laura's blood pressure. She couldn't believe what came out of her mouth – the same as had come out only days prior. "We'll meet you, stay there."

By 3:30pm Laura was huddled in a ball in the back seat of Evan's truck, Amy by her side. Under her eyes hung dark rings of worry and concern. Junkie relationship or not, Dylan was Laura's blonde God and she would never get far without him.

Evan drove quickly and quietly to where the drop off place had been organised, knowing only too well what they would find there. It was a classic story that echoed happenings of the past, and he knew that this would be no different. He might've only ever seen a few grams of heroin in Mt Thomas, but he had got a speedy crash course in crooked policing since his arrival in Melbourne, and had already figured out what was next in the timeline. Like Warren Lanfranchi. Like Harvey Jones. Like Sallie-Anne Huckstepp. They had all met the same fate at the hands of crooked cops and unruly gangsters. Evan knew it was Dylan's fate too. You play with fire too long and you get burnt. Every cop knew that. But not every crim did.

Lucky Evan had anticipated the scene that would confront the trio when they arrived at the deserted bayside sand dunes, because it made him insist that Laura stay in the car with Amy whilst he tried to be bold and went to have a look.

Slumped on the shoreline of the windy little beach was Dylan McMahon, the life now cruelly and cold heartedly sucked out of him. He faced away from Evan, his battered body and dead open eyes looking out towards the Tasman and the lowering sun. Evan didn't want to get too close but knew he had to know for sure in his own mind, as well as for Amy's and Laura's. He stepped over to the body and leant over gingerly, without bending down, and took in the horrific look that had shadowed over Dylan's face.

Evan took a deep breath and walked back to the car. Dylan had gone. Gone to join the frightfully long list of society's lowest who'd been robbed of their chance to make a clean life elsewhere. Laura was lucky she wasn't yet on that list.

Approaching his truck in the late afternoon sun, Evan was eager to get away from the scene, but Laura would have nothing of it. She saw the look on his face as he returned from the dunes. It was a look that said it all. But she had to see for herself, despite the heart breaking sight that would meet her eyes, and despite Amy and Jonesy's pleas to remain in the car Laura stumbled barefoot as she ran to the dunes. Disappearing behind the sandy mounds Amy and Evan could only wait. Moments passed before the two had to drag her along the beach and return her to the car, a crumpled mess of sobbing grief.

Driving through the night, Laura remained a crumpled ball on the backseat as Amy watched on. By nightfall they had reached the outskirts of Melbourne and delivered a tear streaked Laura to the house that belonged to her mother, confident in the knowledge no one could care for her the way her mother could, someone who had been wanting her to come home for 8 years.

As Amy helped Laura out of the car she tried not to replay the events of the past week in her head. She eased Laura out of the back seat and jogged her up the walk. As she rang the door bell in the 6pm dusk Laura turned suddenly to Amy, making eye contact with her for the first time since leaving the beach. "They've killed my Dylan," she wept as they stood on the doorstep. "They're not going to get away with it." And with that the door opened, a stunned woman with greying hair stood there, and Amy turned a sobbing Laura over to her mother.

Without saying another word Amy walked back to Evan's truck where he waited patiently for her in the drivers seat. Laura's words echoed in her head repeatedly. They held a different meaning though to the promises that 'they're not going to get away with it' from victims of crime and bad luck usually held. Amy knew Laura was going to bring Barron down herself, and, getting back into the car and securing her seatbelt tightly around her body as Evan pulled back onto the quiet suburban street, Amy felt an enormous sense of relief. Finally, she thought. Something I won't have to do.

Her desire for revenge for Ned's death and the way Barron and almost the whole of Melbourne Homicide had created a dark, black bent shadow over the Victoria Police was beginning to fade. She couldn't handle any more. The only way it would be stopped would be if someone else did it.

And she knew Laura was going to do that.

As they drove back to Evan's flat he turned expectantly towards her. "What are we going to do now?" he asked her simply.

"I'm going to get out of here before they get me too." Amy's response was quick and sure. Every copper knew the job came with risks, but when the crunch came this big, one longed so badly for a normal life of nine to five.

Evan seemed to understand as quickly and surely as her answer to his question had come. He pulled at the hand break as they rumbled into a parking spot behind his flat. "Well then, your knight in shining armour awaits…" he gestured towards the door to the flat where Alex leant against the doorframe, a ripple of concern spilling across his face.

Amy looked through the passenger window and over at Alex, a smile at last creeping back into her features. She suddenly remembered everything she had loved about him. She unfolded her limbs and got out of the car. Walking towards Alex, the sense of relief she had felt earlier only increased and she fell into his waiting arms and he squeezed her tight, placing a kiss on the top of her head as she cried her worries into his chest in the evening moonlight.

Laura's life remained in danger over the next two days as the trio of coppers continued to lay low, eager to get out of Melbourne but not sure how. They heard nothing of Laura as she recooperated at her mothers house, situated in a suburb 2 hours out of Melbourne and almost safe. Nothing was ever completely safe.

By Sunday Amy was restless. Her arm was healing torturously slowly and fears still nagged at her. She hadn't seen daylight since the day they had found Dylan's body on the beach. She was sick of hiding out and as she sent Alex out to get the paper on Monday morning, her head hurt with all the escape routes she tried to plan.

"Amy!" Alex came running back inside moments later, the Herald Sun in his hand, a shocked but excited look upon his face. He thrust the paper in front of her as she sat at Evan's breakfast bar, her feet kicking softly against the bench. "Look!"

Victoria Police the new corruption kings

The headline screamed its ugly words and only continued in its accompanying article.

Echoing the massive spread of corruption in the New South Wales police in the 1980's, a lone witness has broken her silence on the corrupt ways of Victorian Police detectives

Amy gulped in a big rush of air as she put the paper down and looked up at Alex. This was it. She'd done it. Amy knew the media was what bent coppers feared the most, because the power the media held was so widespread and impacting. Once the media had ahold, corruption could no longer go unnoticed. No longer could a blind eye be turned. No longer could the devious ways of Barron Lloyd go ignored. Laura had done it. Amy knew it was her the moment she saw the headline. In revealing what went on in the Melbourne underworld, Laurahad broken the criminal code of silence, which she herself had been apart of for so long, but it meant a pleasing beginning for the new life she wanted to make for herself. It also meant Amy was in considerably less danger than she had been just the previous day.

She leant her elbows on the bench and put her head in her hands again, only this time not in anguish. Alex pulled her into a hug and felt her breathing easily again into his shoulder. "Take me away from here Alex," she whispered as they pulled apart and rested with their foreheads touching. He stroked her cheek and smiled. "Just take me away."

Her career not over, just on hold for the time being, she and Alex made a hasty retreat interstate until a Royal Commission began into the practises of the Victoria Police. Laura became the new pin up girl for anti corruption and while she made appearances on television and gave newspaper interviews, and even wrote a book, she remained in witness protection for longer than anyone cared to recall, because in the underworld she had been officially branded an informant. And nobody on the street liked an informant. But Amy could do nothing about it. Like Laura had said that day in the motel room on St Kilda Road, she had chosen this life. She was never meant for anything else.