Sorry for such a gap between this and the last update, computer problems amoungst other things.

'Guv, any news?' Jo asked hopefully as she looked up to her superior officer, the brunette curled up in the chair opposite his desk, her position similar to the one that Sam had adopted earlier that day.

'Sorry, Jo, no. You really should be getting home. You being here isn't doing you any good.'

'Please, if I'm not putting you out I'd like to stay.'

'I really think you need to go home and sleep.'

'If I went home I wouldn't sleep, at least if I'm here I can know as soon as there's any updates.'

'I can call you up if we find out anything.' Jack suggested, knowing deep down his DC was too stubborn to go when she didn't want to, but felt he should try to get her home at least.

'I still won't sleep.'

'All right, you can stay here for a bit. But on three conditions.'

'What are they?'

'You're not to get involved with the case, you're to try and sleep, and if I tell you to go home at any point you trust me to know what's right and you go.' He replied firmly, exercising his authority slightly.

Jo contemplated it briefly, sighing slightly before resolving, knowing Jack wouldn't offer her a choice on those terms. 'Okay.'

'Good.'

'Thanks Guv.' She called as he exited the office, pausing slightly before slumping back into the chair; her eyelids involuntarily fluttering shut.

Jack stood over the brunette, placing a hand on her shoulder as he shook her lightly, whispering her name in attempts to coax her out of her slumbering state.

Jo stirred, feeling a hand on her shoulder and hearing her name being murmured quietly into the air. Forcing her eyes open, she looked around, initially unsure of where she was; though it didn't take her long to remember. Bringing her vision upwards, she saw Jack standing over her, the brunette instantly pulling her tired body up into a sitting position. 'What's happened? Have you found anything? Have you found Sam?' she asked hopefully, her mind reeling from the dream she'd been woken from, vivid images of being re-united with Sam still flashing before her eyes.

'We haven't found her, Jo.' He replied, knowing better than to answer the other parts of her questions first and leave that one until last. 'We've found the jacket she was wearing discarded about half a mile from here.'

Jo gulped, images of Sam being forced to remove it threatening to overcome her. 'Where exactly was it found?'

'The Clive & Hope Industrial Estate.'

'Have you searched the place properly, I mean, could she be there?'

'We've done a top to bottom search, Sam, there's no one there, the place is abandoned.'

'What about any other signs that she's been there. It could just be a coincidence, the jacket might not be hers.'

'We found a blonde hair on the jacket, it's at the lab now but it looked like Sam's. They've also found a small purse sized picture of Abi and a baby, we're presuming it's Jared, but it's definitely Abi in the photo.'

'You think she dropped it?'

'No. I think it was too conveniently placed for it ton be dropped. Either she's put it there in the hope it'll lead us to her…'

'Or?'

'Or this guy is playing mind games with us and has put them there himself.'

'Any luck on finding Ratherson yet?' Jo asked hopefully, having completely forgotten to check if he'd been found.

'Afraid not. We're pretty certain he's got her.'

'Any witnesses?'

'No. We've put out a public appeal on the news with both their pictures on it, but so far it's drawn a blank.'

'Any family, friends, anyone who could know where this guy's taken her?'

'Family's dead. As far as we can tell this bloke's a loner, no friends that we can find, neighbours say they've never seen anyone but him go in and out the house.'

'I guess that's to be expected if he stalked her though, isn't it?'

'Not everyone's the perfect stereotype, Jo.'

'I know that, but generally people with a wife, children and large group of friends don't go around stalking police officers they once dated. What about work? Has he got a job?'

'Garden centre. They say he hasn't been in for a couple of days and they can't get hold of him.'

'Okay.' Jo paused, racking her brain for any other possibility. 'Local pub?'

'Nope. He's not a regular anyway.'

'Any meetings or club type things he attends?'

'Not since before he was put in prison.'

'Counselling?'

'No.'

'Parole officer?'

'He was let out at the end of his sentence.'

'Okay, um, what about any form of internet type support group?'

'We've checked his computer, no internet access, all he uses it for is putting on pictures… mainly of Sam.' he added cautiously, not sure how much he could tell Jo without the brunette freaking out.

'What does that mean?'

'There's just some photos of her on his computer, that's all.' He lied, seeing her already becoming agitated and knowing she wouldn't handle what they'd found very well.

'No, it's more than that, I can tell. What kind of photos?'

'Nothing to worry about.'

'Jack, you promised you'd tell me if you got any developments. Please, tell me what's on the pictures.'

'There's some from years ago. I guess it was when they were still dating because she's posing… lying on the bed, wrapped in sheets, that sort of thing.' He remarked, watching Jo's eyebrows rocket.

'She doesn't seem the type.' The DC commented.

'No, well, I guess people aren't the same person in work as they are outside of it. There's also some more recent ones.'

'Oh?'

'Her in the shower. Her in bed, asleep. Her in the car. Her at work. The list goes on.'

'So this guy's definitely been stalking her since his release then, Guv?'

'Yeah.'

'She'll be okay, won't she?' Jo asked timidly.

'You know I can't answer that truthfully, Jo. But she's strong, we both know that, there's no way she's give up without a decent fight.'

'But what if she's all out of fight?'

'Sam's never out of fight.' He said with a chuckle.

'You didn't see her earlier. She completely broke down in there, Guv. She's not in a good frame of mind, I wouldn't be surprised if she just gave in.'

'She wouldn't do that, Jo. Not Sam.'

'Wouldn't she?' Jo questioned dubiously, her eyebrows raised.

'Get some rest, Jo. I'll tell you if there's anything else.'

'Guv.'

Jo found herself awoken by a hand resting softly on her shoulder; the brunette being dragged kicking and screaming from her dreams. When she re-discovered her awareness, she looked up, immediately concerned. 'Guv, what is it?' She asked breathlessly, her heartbeat rapid as she saw the pained expression on her superior's face.

'Uniform have just been called out, they've found a body.'

'A body? Sam? Are you telling me she's dead?'

'Jo, calm down, we don't know who it is yet, Nikki and Emma have taken the call but it's only just come through, they're not there and until they do get there, we don't know who it is.'

'Well where was the body found? Take me there.'

'Jo, I don't think it's a good idea for you to go there. It was a small waste yard in North London. Officers from that district are already on the scene, the only reason Nikki and Emma have gone to the scene is because…' The male faltered, a lump forming in his throat as he silently battled with what to tell the concerned DC.

'Because what?'

Jack paused; deciding it was probably better to tell her the truth and hope the fact he was keeping her informed would stop her from heading straight to where the body had been found. 'It's an IC1 female. Blonde hair. About 5'3", petite.'

Jo's heart rate bungee jumped, plummeting instantly before raising rapidly, her breathing hitching as she thought through the information Jack had just revealed. 'It can't be her.'

'We don't know yet, Jo, I'm sorry.'

'What about identification, was there nothing on the body?'

'No, nothing. She was wearing a baggy white t-shirt and a pair of jeans.'

Jo froze, shutting her eyes briefly before gulping. 'That's what Sam was wearing.'

'Yes.'

'I want to go there. Take me there, please.'

'Jo, I really don't think it's…'

'Please, I'm not asking you as my superior, I'm asking as a friend, I need to know if it's Sam or not.'

'Even as a friend, Jo, I don't think it would do you any good.'

'Then I'll take myself.'

'You're in no fit state to drive.'

'Then take me. I'll get there one way or another, you know I will.'

Jack paused, not doubting for one second his officer's sincerity at that comment. 'Okay, but it's on my terms.'

'You can tell me them in the car.' Jo replied as she stood up, pulling on her coat that had been discarded on the floor, the brunette rushing past Jack, leaving him little choice but to follow.

'Jo! Jo, slow down.' Jack called as he chased the brunette; Jo having ran out the car about five seconds before it actually stopped.

Jo froze, standing over a body bag, her breathing heavy from both anxiety and charging from the car at about three hundred miles an hour. Looking down, she gulped, about to ask to see the body when a figure caught her eye, a blonde officer heading towards her. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw the blurred figure rushing her way, the brunette's heart sinking as the frame became clearer, Jo watching as a plain clothed Nikki hurried towards her. 'Is it her?' Jo gasped, her voice cracking as tears threatened to flood her eyes.

'We don't know.'

'What do you mean? You know Sam, you should recognise her.'

'You should sit down.' Nikki suggested.

'I don't want to sit down, I want to know why you don't recognise your colleague.' Jo shouted, pent up emotion being released in a raging fire aimed at the sergeant.

'The face is badly disfigured.' Nikki admitted, pausing to give the information time to register with Jo. 'We can't identify the body. We've taken dental samples and we're just waiting for the results.'

Jo swallowed hard, fighting back the tears welling dangerously close to the edge of her eyes. 'I want to see the body.'

'I don't think it's a good idea. It honestly in unrecognisable.'

'I know Sam, I saw her earlier, I know what she was wearing, I might be able to identify her.'

'I'm not sure. The dental tests shouldn't be long, it would only speed it up by an hour or two, I don't think it's worth you having to go through seeing the body for that.'

'Please, Nikki, I need to know.'

The blonde sergeant looked to Jack, the male having caught up the brunette a while ago and finding little choice but to stand behind her and listen to her desperate pleas. When he nodded, Nikki paused, shutting her eyes briefly. 'Okay.' She murmured as she signalled for the body bag to be opened.

Jo let out a gasp as the distorted face was revealed to, moving a shaky hand up to her mouth, concentrating on the body before shutting her eyes tightly, bringing both her hands up to her face as she fought back the tears.

Is it Sam? Well, you know what you'll have to do to find out… yep, that's it, review!