A/N: Back again! Expect another update after the weekend and thanks for reading!

So if I call you don't make a fuss,

Don't tell your friends about the two of us.

Nikki lay, propped up on one elbow, watching Diane sleep. She seemed peaceful enough, really attractive in slumber. Nikki felt the rumbling of her stomach but ignored it, and slipped back down into the bed. She had an irrepressible urge to be around when Diane awoke.

The sensation of awakening in bed with another woman hadn't been so horrible an experience as she'd anticipated. In fact, when she opened her eyes to find Diane Noble's mouth centimetres away from hers it had actually felt… Well, it had felt right. She didn't feel repulsed, she didn't want to run away. None of what she expected came true. If she was honest, that possibly scared her more than the idea of it being wrong.

Finally, she was forced to gently shake Diane awake; it was getting late and they both had to be in work. She stirred then frowned and opened one eye. 'Nikki?'

She smiled. 'Yeah, I'm still here.'

Diane immediately shuffled upwards. 'Are you okay?'

'Fine,' she said truthfully. 'It's just… We'll be late for work if we don't get a move on.'

'Pity, I could stay like this all day.'

Nikki entwined their fingers then kissed Diane. 'I know.'

The PC reluctantly slipped out of bed. 'Cuppa?'

'Please.' Watching her out of the room, Nikki then sighed and moved to collect her clothes. Five minutes later she was dressed and looking half-respectable, though it would probably be wise to bring a toothbrush and make-up with her next time.

Next time? She shook her head at the way the thought had naturally skipped across her mind. As if she could ever stay over again. But she suddenly wanted to.

Going into the kitchen she found Diane at the fridge, putting the milk away. Nikki approached and kissed the side of her neck. Surprised, the constable turned, a smile playing over her mouth. 'Morning.'

'Hi,' Nikki replied, kissing her lips briefly.

Diane cleared her throat. 'You want some breakfast? I found out the milk's in date.'

'That's always handy,' she answered as her stomach rumbled loudly again. 'Think that's a yes.'

'Don't move,' Diane instructed.

Watching Diane get her breakfast, Nikki felt she should admit something. 'I should tell you something.'

Diane turned around instantly, leaving the bowl on the counter. 'What?'

Sighing, she said, 'I came round here last night to finish it.'

Sitting down at the table next to her, Diane said, 'Right.'

'But,' Nikki went on slowly. 'I couldn't. I mean, what you said about it being illogical… It was. I went to see Sarah Phillips the other day and she said that you don't knowingly put your kids where they can be hurt. That's exactly what I was doing, so I thought…'

'You decided not to anymore,' Diane concluded, her face impassive. Evidently, she wondered where this was going. 'I understand. It's too much for you…'

'No, you don't get it,' Nikki said, taking her hand. 'I couldn't leave. I wanted to and I should've been able to. But I just couldn't.'

Diane looked up at her. 'What are you saying?'

'I don't know. I think… I need to explain some things. But not now, we're running late enough as it is.'

'When?'

'Tonight. After work.'

'You dealt with that assault this morning, didn't you?'

Nikki glanced up as Jo Masters appeared in the doorway of the office. 'Kathryn Thwaites? Yeah, why?'

Jo came further into the office. 'She told you she'd been in all evening before the attack, right?'

'Mmm-hmm. Was very argumentative about it as well.'

'She would be. We've got CCTV of her meeting up with some bloke an hour before she was assaulted. Think I'm gonna enjoy this,' Jo commented with a small smile.

'She got up your nose an all then?' Nikki questioned.

'Yeah. Stuart seems charmed though. Mind you, he is a bloke,' Jo replied, going back to the door and then turning around. 'You alright?'

Nikki frowned slightly. 'What, do I look ill or something?'

'No, I just…' Jo shrugged. 'Well, I was just wondering.'

Watching her out of the office, Nikki shook her head. While that was a little strange she'd learned Sun Hill could do odd things to people. How else could Reg Hollis be explained?

'I told you,' Nikki began finally after several minutes of silence, during which Diane had removed her right sock and started massaging her foot, 'that before I joined the force I was a hairdresser.'

'Yeah, still have trouble believing that one,' Diane answered, earning herself a nudge with a foot. 'What?!'

Nikki grinned. 'You know what!'

'Oh, right…' Diane said in a mock apologetic tone. 'I'm very sorry.'

'So you should be.' Nikki's smile faded as she returned to her story. 'I had a couple of jobs but the last one was at a really nice little place; you know, customers that didn't try and do a runner without paying, and it was owned by this great woman. Liz Wright.' Diane glanced up at the name but quickly refocused her attention on the foot in her hand- Nikki was grateful, it was made it easier if she wasn't being watched.

'We got on like a house on fire,' she continued after a moment. 'We were good friends; it was really nice having someone at work who I got on with for once. And then… Well, then I met her husband. And I found out I had a lot in common with him as well. I didn't set out to hurt anyone,' she went on quickly. 'They had kids, two gorgeous little boys, but I couldn't carry on pretending when he was going out of his way to see me everyday. I couldn't stop it.'

Pausing, she looked up at Diane's face, finding her green eyes soft. 'He was all for doing it right,' she went on. 'He wanted to divorce Liz and marry me, all above board. But by the time he got round to telling her, I was two months pregnant with Daisy.' She let out her breath. 'I was such an idiot.'

'No, you weren't,' Diane said quietly. 'What happened to the boys? I remember you saying they lived with her full-time.'

Nikki smiled slightly at her remembering that, considering everything else that had happened that particular evening. 'Doug wasn't going to take the kids away from their mum, he couldn't do it. But Liz just saw him starting over with a new family, not giving a damn about the old one. She hit the bottle. Hit me a few times,' she added with a grim chuckle, 'then she just… I don't know. She was diagnosed with mild depression but we thought she was getting better as time passed.'

'Take it she wasn't?' Diane said, her tone sympathetic rather than accusatory.

'Couple of years ago Liam turns up on the doorstep screaming that Liz was threatening to kill herself. She'd gone up on the roof when she was drunk; she didn't know what she was doing but that was the final straw for Doug. He fought her for custody and he won. You should've seen Liz at the hearing. She blames me for everything.'

'But I know you know it wasn't your fault,' replied Diane after a brief pause. 'You can't help who you fall in love with can you?'

Nikki was quiet. 'Di, I'm risking everything here. Those lads have already been pushed from pillar to post and I couldn't stand not seeing the girls…'

'It won't come to that,' Diane said, shuffling closer and taking her hand. 'I won't let it.'

'I don't know what I'm doing sometimes,' she admitted bitterly. 'I can't get you out of my head and I'm telling myself I have to but…'

'Nikki, hey,' her lover interrupted, drawing her close for a long kiss. 'It's alright.'

'It's anything but!'

As if to demonstrate a point, Diane kissed her again. 'Listen to me: it's alright.'

Relaxing half-reluctantly into the embrace, Nikki soon found herself being overtaken by the feelings of lust that plagued her when she was with Diane. She could never think straight, she never wanted to. And now was no exception. She wasn't even certain that she wanted it to be one.

'Oh, you have remembered where you live.'

Dropping her bag on the sofa, Nikki dropped herself into the armchair. 'Sorry, I went for a drink with a few friends from work.'

Doug turned off the television using the remote and looked at her. 'I don't know, first you don't come home last night then you go drinking with your mates... Have you been taking lessons from Andy?'

She tried to smile but her mind still felt overloaded from her conversations with Diane; along with what had happened afterwards. A massive part of her wished she was still in Diane's safe bedroom, wrapped in her arms then she berated herself. Never had she wished herself there for comfort. Yet… it was a mightily appealing thought.

'Nikki?' Doug interrupted her thoughts. 'You okay?'

'I'm fine,' she said with more certainty than she felt. 'I should've called tonight. Sorry.'

'I just wondered where you were, that's all,' he answered. 'I get worried.'

She smiled tightly. 'I know.'

'You look like you haven't slept,' Diane muttered, sidling up as the briefing ended and they were soon the only people in the room.

'I'm okay,' Nikki answered then she let out her breath. 'Well, actually, it's been a couple of days since I got a good night.'

'What's up?' the constable asked with obvious concern. 'Anything I can do?'

'Close the can of worms?' Nikki suggested wryly.

Di looked at her sympathetically, glancing around to ensure they were alone before she squeezed her arm. 'I'm sorry.'

'It's not your fault. Well, it is,' she conceded with a smile, 'but it's alright.'

'You know, before last week, I'd never seen you happier,' Diane said after a pause of a few moments. 'I thought maybe I was making the difference, not very modest of me, I know but…'

'I was happy. I am.'

'Nikki, look in the mirror- you're not. And if I hadn't have pushed you…'

'Nothing would've changed,' she interrupted. 'You'd have started hating me for the way I was treating you and what then?'

'I couldn't hate you,' Diane objected. 'I was the one who started this.'

'I'm not sorry you did,' she admitted. 'And that's the thing- I should be.'

Diane was quiet. 'I don't know what to say,' she confessed. 'I'm sorry.'

'Is it…' Nikki began then trailed off as her capacity for speech was overpowered by her urge to release her emotions. Composing herself, she went on, 'Is it alright if I stay at yours Friday?'

'What're you gonna tell Doug?'

'Don't know. It doesn't matter.'

'Nik…' Interrupted by footsteps entering the briefing room, Diane retreated a few inches as Jo Masters appeared. 'Hi.'

'Diane, Inspector Gold's looking for you,' Jo said. 'She didn't look all that happy.'

'Now there's a change,' Diane answered. 'See you later,' she added as she left the room.

Nikki watched after her for a fraction too long. Jo Masters, instead of leaving the room, came in further and closed the door. 'Are you alright?'

It was the second time in a week the detective had asked her that question and she looked up suddenly. 'What?'

'Look, I know it's none of my business and I should probably keep my nose right out but…'

'Jo, I'm fine,' she replied icily, moving towards the door.

'I know about you and Diane,' Jo said suddenly.

Nikki stopped in her tracks and looked over, finding her whole body shaking. 'What?'

'I know,' she repeated with an apologetic shrug.

For some reason part of her believed this was some colossal joke and she laughed. 'I don't know what…'

Jo scratched her head then sat down in one of the chairs set up for the briefing. 'Nikki, she told me. Well, I guessed and asked her about it, but it amounts to the same thing I suppose.'

She couldn't comprehend this. She was having trouble reconciling the image of her Diane, who swore she'd never utter a word to Doug, with this Diane who had apparently informed Jo Masters of their relationship. 'When? When did she tell you?'

'That day at the hospital, you know when Doug was helping with that lad.'

'I can't believe she'd do that. Diane's not like that. She said she…'

'Look, I'm not going to tell anyone,' Jo interjected. 'I really don't want to be involved in this but since I already am…'

'No,' Nikki said quickly. 'It doesn't matter. It just…' She trailed off as she realised her voice was shaking and the room was unseating itself. 'I need some air.'

'Nikki…' Jo tried.

'No,' she said, walking straight past her. 'No.'

When she reached the yard she took a few deep breaths but she still felt nowhere close to calm. Her head had already been confused in the last few days by her growing attachment to Diane and now to find out that she'd… It was a betrayal. She hadn't even mentioned that Jo knew. Why would she keep that to herself? Nikki felt ill again, in a way she'd managed to repress for several months. Everything that she thought she was sure of had been shook up again; she wasn't sure she could cope with it this time.

Watching the door with steely eyes, Nikki waited. She'd been informed ten minutes earlier that Diane and Tony were bringing in a prisoner and she was waiting to catch sight of Diane again. She wanted to know whether it felt different to see her now. What result she wanted she wasn't sure, but the experiment counted for something.

Eventually, after what seemed like an age, Diane and Tony entered. Her stomach churned- she felt ashamed at that. She was still attracted to Diane, even after finding out she'd been betrayed; it made no sense. And Diane… Diane smiled at her. Such a subtle smile but it was there. It was the one they'd used in the corridors for weeks now; each time they passed they acknowledged they shared a secret. Nikki felt her anger rise again.

When they'd got through the formalities of booking in the prison Tony sped off down the corridor and Diane leaned over the desk. 'Feeling any better?'

Fired up, she questioned, 'Why didn't you tell me Jo knew about us?'

Diane's lips parted then she sighed. 'I thought it'd…'

'What, make me worry?' Nikki interrupted sarcastically. 'You had no right...'

'Just hear me out…' Diane tried then frowned as the door behind her opened and Emma arrived with a struggling teenager. 'Nikki, promise me,' she hissed, 'promise me you'll listen to me.'

Though her fury was still present, she nodded. 'Fine,' she said.

They met in the car park after work. Getting into the passenger seat of Diane's car, Nikki crossed her arms and looked straight ahead at the lights trickling up and down the street a short distance away.

Diane took a moment before speaking. 'I know I should've told you but… I knew how you'd react. I didn't want you panicking when there was no reason. Jo won't tell anyone…'

'That isn't the point,' Nikki interjected. 'You should have told me!'

'I know! I'm sorry!'

Nikki glanced over at her. 'I got it wrong, didn't I? All this time I thought you were being sincere, turns out you were just playing me all along.'

'Now you don't believe that,' Diane answered angrily.

'Don't I?' Nikki retorted, reaching for the handle.

Di grabbed her arm. 'Don't.'

'Get off,' she commanded, shaking her arm free as she got out of the car.

'Fine. You don't believe me?' Diane replied. 'Right, I'll show you.'

Nikki watched the car out of the car park then grimaced as she noticed Jo Masters walking towards her. Making for her own car, she was annoyed when the detective caught up with her. 'What?' she asked, not turning around.

'She really loves you, you know.'

Involuntarily, she slowed and then stopped, turning to Jo. 'No, she doesn't.'

'What, you think that she's getting some kick out of this?' Jo questioned, shaking her head. 'She loves you, Nikki!'

'No, she's just playing some sort of game.'

'A game?' Jo repeated with a degree of disbelief. 'She'd do anything for you! You've got to see that.'

'I'm not listening to this,' Nikki answered, starting to walk again.

'I touched a nerve, did I?' Jo called after her.

She'd driven round for an hour before she finally turned in the direction of home. She felt battered. Before discovering Jo's knowledge of her and Diane she'd already been dealing with a renewed sense of guilt towards the kids and Doug, brought on from her last meetings with Diane. Because she'd been more confused than ever afterwards. For the first time in weeks she hadn't been sure of her own motives for visiting Diane's flat every week. She'd been shook up by the thoughts and she hadn't been able to settle at night. With Doug snoring next to her she'd lain awake, just pondering. Now she didn't know where her head was at. Her mind was all over the place.

When she eventually got home she took a few minutes before she entered the house. She couldn't afford to pique Doug's interest, not tonight. So she tried her hardest to clear her face so that when she went inside she was sure she looked a lot happier and content than she actually felt.

Doug was in the living room with a glass of whisky and a snowy television screen. He didn't look up as she came in, so she queried carefully, 'Are you okay?'

He didn't acknowledge her for several moments then he leaned forward and placed his tumbler on the table and raised his eyes to her. 'You're home late.'

'I had to finish a report,' she lied, sitting down. 'Doug, what's wrong?'

'I just wish you'd called, that's all.'

'Well, why? Is something up?'

'It would've been nice to know where you were. I am your husband.'

She'd rarely seen him so… well, detached from events. It seemed like he wanted to be angry but he couldn't force it out of himself. 'It wasn't like I was out enjoying myself,' she said truthfully. 'I just didn't have time to call.'

Doug stood and moved to look out of the window, which he still hadn't closed the curtains over. 'I wish you had.'

Moving over to join him, she put her arm around his waist. 'I'm sorry.'

He turned to her, his forehead creased. 'Are you alright? Is there anything I should know?'

Immediately, she shook her head. 'I'm fine. Just overworked and underpaid,' she said with a small smile. 'Honestly… There's nothing wrong.'

He wrapped his arms around her and she closed her eyes. Rudely, the image of Diane interrupted her thoughts, making her open her eyes to face the cream walls instead.

It was the next morning- a Wednesday- when she saw Diane again. There had been a knife attack on the Bronte Estate and the relief had been gathered together by DI Manson and DS Turner for a briefing on it. Nikki knew she should have been concentrating on the case, and she really tried to, but her eyes drifted over to where Diane was sitting on more than one occasion. What was odd- and she couldn't work out whether it was a good thing or not- was that Diane didn't look towards her at all. In every briefing they shared a look, their eyes just usually met at the right moment and they couldn't help it. But not today. It only served to heighten her confusion.

She was assigned to go down to coordinate the house to house. In a way she was relieved to be out of the station, she felt trapped there and she was constantly wary of talking to anyone, just in case they knew about her affair as well. Now even though she knew that was just irrational, she couldn't get the idea out of her mind. Her heart and head were telling her conflicting things and, for once, she didn't know which one to listen to.

Needless to say, she was quite distracted all morning and just avoided being hit by a car as she crossed a road by the quick actions of Will Fletcher. It was unfortunate that Diane witnessed that as she arrived in another car. Nikki felt her cheeks blush crimson then she moved along to the next house on her list.

Ten minutes later she passed Di in the street as returned to the car. Whilst a great proportion of her being was telling her to walk past without a word she found herself slowing. 'Hi.'

'Hi, Sarge.' The impersonality in the voice bit into her.

'Di,' she started hesitantly, 'I…'

'Nikki, don't,' Diane instructed. 'Please.'

'You don't even know what I'm gonna say.'

'Do you?' queried the constable, looking at her properly then she sighed. 'I'm sorry.'

Her paranoia began to resurface with a vengeance. 'For what?'

There was a lengthy pause. 'I should've told you about Jo,' Diane said finally. 'I was trying to protect you.'

'Why?' Nikki asked, recalling all too well Jo's words of the previous night.

'Because I care,' she answered simply as Reg called her over from the opposite side of the road. 'I have to go.'

'Di,' Nikki said quickly before she moved too far away. 'I need to see you.'

Diane glanced back. 'Are you sure about that?'

'I think if there's one thing I know…'

The constable nodded. 'My place after work.'

This time she called Doug to let him know she was going to be a little late. His demeanour of the previous night had concerned her a little, he wasn't usually like that, and she wanted to avoid a repeat of it. Of course, she didn't say she was going to Diane's; she blamed it on a group of thugs making a complaint about her in relation to the stabbing on the Bronte. In actual fact, she'd written up her report for that in the afternoon but the white lie suited her purpose.

Diane opened the door with an impassive expression on her face. Nikki waited until they'd both sat down on the sofa before she asked, 'Are you alright?'

'Are you?' Diane retorted.

'Not really,' she admitted, watching the PC closely. 'I'm sorry,' she went on suddenly. 'I was out of line last night.'

'No, you weren't,' answered Diane quietly, reaching for her glass of wine on the table.

'I was. I just… There were all these thoughts flying round my head. I thought you were…'

'Last week,' Diane interrupted, 'something changed, didn't it? You said so yourself.' Nikki nodded silently. 'Well, I thought it was great. You know, you finally seemed to trust me, you even stayed the night! But… It wasn't a good thing, was it? I mean, at least before you could keep it separate, that's what you were doing and it was working then… I pushed you and…'

Nikki quietened her by taking her hand. 'Di, stop it.'

'How are things at home?' she questioned softly, not looking up.

'Why?' They never talked about that; it was too much like the real world.

'I just wondered.'

'They're fine,' she answered with a shrug. 'It's fine.'

Diane stood, moving over to the window and looking out of it in silence. Then she said, 'I think you'd better go.'

Standing herself, Nikki approached her lover and turned her back round to face her. 'Why?'

The constable wouldn't meet her eye; she just shrugged and shook her head. 'I need to be on my own for a bit.'

'What's going on in your head?' Nikki asked, watching her.

Diane pulled away. 'Please.'

Complying with the request, she picked up her bag then glanced back. 'I'm sorry about what I said, you do know that?'

'Yeah,' replied Diane with a half-smile. 'I know that.'

Doug wasn't home when she got back; he'd left a note saying he'd taken the girls for a burger. Andy wasn't home, which wasn't surprising, but she'd expected Liam to be in. He usually came straight home after school, more so these days when he constantly expected the threats of Greg Clarke, but apparently not today. A little perturbed, she tried his mobile but it was switched off.

For the following hour she sat in front of the television, watching but not really absorbing anything on the screen. Her mind, as it had been frequently lately, was elsewhere.

Had she just wrecked what she had with Diane because of her paranoia? She'd calmed down now, come to the conclusion that Jo Masters knowing wasn't the worst thing in the world; she'd be more justified in overreacting if Doug knew. But, whatever else it had done, making the discovery about Jo knowing had forced her to confront her confused feelings. Jo had mentioned love. Love. She hadn't even contemplated it could be getting that serious for Diane; it never even crossed her mind that Diane was treating their relationship as anything apart from fun. Looking back, she admitted it should have. When Diane had pushed her on Friday it was clear, wasn't it? But she'd been ignoring it; it hadn't been something she wanted to confront so she just hadn't.

Love. She didn't love Diane. She loved Doug, she loved her family. But they offered different things. She felt more comfortable, safer and more protected, with Diane but her life was with Doug and the kids. That was it. Yet the thought of having to see Diane every day at work and not being anything more to her than a colleague was a frightening thought; she couldn't stand that situation. It was all she could do in the last few weeks to keep herself from approaching Diane in the station; sometimes she just wanted to be next to her and she didn't care who knew. Then she hated herself. That was her problem; she was going round in circles every day. Doug was sensing it, she could tell. The only time she could get away from it was when she was with Diane- then the world melted away and she… Well, she wasn't happy because at the back of her mind she always had a picture of Doug and the kids, but she was close. She was really close.

The front door opened and closed and she heard pounding on the stairs. Immediately going up them she found Liam in his room punching the wall. 'Oi!' she said, running forward and grasping at his hands before he did anymore damage. 'What's going on? What's happened?'

He wouldn't look at her, just kept his head low as he wrenched his hands free. 'Nothing!'

'Oh, so you just felt like bashing the wall in?' Nikki asked, cautiously letting him go. 'Liam, come on! You can either talk to me or your dad when he gets back.'

He raised his head at that, allowing her to see a gash on his cheek. 'Don't tell him.'

Sighing, she sat down on the bed, indicating for him to join her. 'I think he might notice. What happened?'

'I don't wanna talk about it.'

'Greg Clarke?'

Slowly, he nodded. 'He was waiting for me after school.'

'Right, well, that's it. I'll get onto the school, they said one whiff of trouble and he was out.'

'No one else saw,' Liam said quietly. 'Just his mates. There's no point.'

What was she supposed to say to that? 'I'm still calling them.'

'What, so he'll know I grassed him up? No!'

'You can't let him win!' Nikki argued.

'He's won, alright? Might as well get used to it.'

After a long silence, Nikki stood. 'Come on, let's get that cheek cleaned up.'

'Nikki,' he said suddenly. 'Don't tell Dad. He'll just go down there and cause trouble.'

'I can't lie to him, Liam.'

'Please!'

She was torn. On the one hand, she knew Doug would go mad if she didn't tell him but, on the other hand, she knew he'd go ballistic and probably march right down to the school in the morning. She understood why Liam didn't want that- it had to be done carefully, so Clarke couldn't dish out anymore of his own brand of retribution. Reluctantly, she nodded. 'I won't tell him yet.'

'Thanks,' he replied. 'Thank you.'

After clearing up the mess of blood on his cheek and applying the longest plaster she could so that he looked like a patchwork Frankenstein, he opted to eat his tea in his room and she retreated to the kitchen where she closed the door and pulled out her mobile.

It took several rings before Di answered. 'Hello?'

Just hearing the voice was a relief. 'Hiya.'

'What's up? You've only been gone a couple of hours.' Diane's voice seemed measured, distant.

'I erm…' She sighed and leaned against the kitchen counter. 'Liam's had a run-in with that bully again.'

'What? Is he alright?'

'Well, he came home and started battering his bedroom wall so… No, he's not really.'

'What's Doug said?' Diane questioned after a moment.

'He's not back yet,' she admitted. 'And Liam doesn't want him knowing. I don't know what to do.'

'We'll go down to the school first thing,' Diane answered. 'I'll have a word with the head, ask him to keep his eye out. That way you're not the one grassing Liam up.'

Nikki found herself smiling. 'You don't have to do that.'

'Liam's a good kid. He doesn't need this.'

'Diane…' She trailed off, unsure of what she wanted to say. 'Thank you.'

'Anytime.'

Hearing the front door open, she regretfully said, 'I have to go. See you tomorrow.'

'Night, Nikki.'

A few seconds later Doug entered with the girls. 'Hiya.'

She tried to smile. 'Had a nice time?'

Having cleared the visit to the school with Gina, Nikki yet again found herself in a car with Diane. She wasn't sure how the air was between them: Diane was concentrating on her driving and not really looking over but that wasn't necessarily a negative thing. They were at work, they were always careful when they were working.

Slowing down as they passed the opening to a park, Diane frowned. 'That's Liam, isn't it?'

Nikki glanced into the park, recognising the boy leading the group he was surrounded by. 'Greg Clarke.'

Diane stopped the car then grabbed Nikki's arm. 'Let me handle this.'

'No way.'

'Listen, it's not going to help matters if his step-mum turns up!' Diane released her arm. 'Trust me.'

Reluctantly, she realised the wisdom of the argument and nodded. 'Alright.'

Diane smiled briefly then got out of the car and approached the group of lads. Immediately, all of Clarke's followers ran off but he just stood there, looking unconcerned by the turn of events. Liam's face was obscured by the fact his head was bowed.

Though she couldn't hear what was going on, she gathered that Diane was just asking both boys questions, pretending she'd never met Liam in her life. Then she seemed to focus her attention on Clarke and held out her hand. The smile slipped from his face and he turned to run but Diane grabbed him by the collar. Then Nikki frustratingly lost her line of sight because of the interference of a tree and the next thing she knew Diane was approaching the car with Clarke in cuffs.

Nikki quickly got out of the car and looked questioning at Diane.

'Greg Clarke, Sarge' she said with a hint of satisfaction. 'Possession of a prohibited substance and an offensive weapon.'

After Greg Clarke had been booked in, Nikki caught Diane in the corridor before she could slip away. 'Thank you.'

'I was just lucky he had something on him,' Diane said evenly. 'And that we got there before he used that knife on Liam.'

Nikki let out her breath. 'Tell me about it. Did he say anything?'

'No, but he didn't want to show that he knew me so… I'll give the school a call, check he's turned up.'

'You don't have to do that.'

'It's no trouble,' Diane replied, moving off down the corridor.

Later that afternoon, Greg Clarke admitted to possession of a Class C drug and an offensive weapon and was dragged off by his furious father, much to Nikki's satisfaction. As she went to get a coffee from the canteen, though, she was informed by Roger that Doug was in the front office.

Leading him into the front interview room, she closed the door. 'You've heard then.'

He nodded. 'Liam called me at lunchtime. What happened?'

'Well, we broke up a gang of youths this morning hassling Liam. Clarke was searched, found in possession of drugs and a knife. He's been charged and bailed to return. With his previous record of violence, he's looking at a young offenders unit.'

'Right,' Doug said. 'Who's 'we'?'

'What?'

'Liam mentioned Diane or something.' His tone was strange.

'Yeah, we were patrolling when we saw them,' she answered carefully, feeling her stomach tensing. 'Diane handled it, so I didn't smack the little toerag.'

He only half-smiled. 'Right.'

'Is Liam alright?' she questioned after a pause.

'He's fine. I said we'd sit down tonight, the three of us. You will be coming straight home?'

'Course I will,' she replied, frowning.

'Good. I'd better get back,' he said suddenly, moving towards the door. 'I'll see you tonight.'

Following him into reception she watched him out of the station then turned around. Di was watching her from beside the desk. 'Oh, hi.'

'Is everything alright?' the PC asked.

Nikki shrugged. 'I think so. Hopefully.' Smiling, she looked at Diane fully. 'How are you?'

'I'm alright, I suppose.'

Drawing her away from the desk, Nikki continued, 'Thanks for all your help today. You didn't have to go out of your way.'

'Just glad I could help,' she answered, turning away then looking back. 'Look, I know you're gonna be busy with Liam and everything but… The offer still stands, for tomorrow night.'

Nodding, she said, 'I'll see what I can do.'

'I'm not pushing…'

'I want to come round,' she interrupted. 'Alright?'

Thursday evening wasn't particularly pleasant, what with father and son both acting in a similar monosyllabic manner, but Nikki could understand it so she didn't criticise. Doug and Liam were close, but they just couldn't talk to each other easily. That was why, she supposed, Liam turned to her when things went wrong. Of course, being stuck in the middle was not her favourite place to be, but if Liam needed her, he needed her. Doug always came round to that fact in the end because he was such a good father.

Still, she was relieved to be back in work on Friday to an extent. Doug, after the kids had gone to bed, had been quiet and moody. Probably he was blaming himself for the Greg Clarke debacle but, despite her best efforts, Nikki couldn't get him to talk to her about it. So she'd basically left him to it, just mentioning half way through the evening that she was planning on staying at her sister's on Friday. He'd looked up sharply then returned his gaze to his glass and just nodded. What that meant she wasn't sure, but even if she'd probed she knew he wasn't in a sharing mood. So she'd accepted his answer without another word.

As soon as she found herself in Diane's flat she felt infinitely better. Curling up on the sofa in Diane's embrace, she let go of all her worries and focussed solely on the moment.

Diane dropped a kiss onto her head. 'Are you okay?'

Nikki smiled and looked up at her. 'I'm fine. You?'

After kissing her, Diane replied, 'Me? I'm great.'