A/N: This was supposed to be the final chapter but when I wrote it I decided I had another couple of things I wanted to explore. So you get two more chapters! As ever, thanks for bothering to read.

Cos I can't fight this feeling anymore,

I've forgotten what I started fighting for.

'You look terrible, Sarge. If you don't me saying so.'

'I do, as it happens, Reg,' Nikki muttered.

'Sorry. Seems to be an epidemic of it this morning, mind you. Diane Noble just bit my head off for no reason.'

She glanced up immediately at that. 'Pardon?'

'Hmm? Sorry, I didn't mean to gossip.'

'Then why are you here, Reg?' she queried, feeling the even temper she'd battled to bring into work a few hours earlier crumbling rapidly around her ears.

'There's a parcel for you at the front desk,' he answered. 'PC Green asked me to inform you of it, you see.'

'Right, thank you.'

After finishing the report she was working on- because she'd learned already that morning that leaving things unfinished with her frame of mind meant that she spent twenty minutes trying to refocus- Nikki proceeded to the front office. She was surprised when the package turned out to be a bouquet of red roses, with no card. Not that she needed one of those to tell her who they were from: roses were Doug's token and he knew how much she liked them. Yet she wondered what he hoped to achieve by sending them to the station.

As she rounded a corner she suddenly recognised one of his intentions as she almost went flying into Diane. 'Sorry, I didn't see you.'

The constable certainly seemed to be a little worse for wear as Reg had described. Her eyes flicked first to the flowers before she looked up. 'Someone's been a good girl.'

'Anonymous gift,' she answered, feeling her throat dry up. 'Di, I think we should…'

'You wanna do this here?'

'No, of course not,' Nikki replied, watching her lover closely. 'But I do need to talk to you.'

'About Jessie Garrett?' Diane questioned.

'Yes,' she said in part-honesty.

'Well, you needn't bother. Inspector Gold's put me straight, told me how you worked yesterday to get me off the hook. I suppose I should thank you.'

Uncertain, because the tone of Diane's voice was so false, she just nodded. 'I still wanna see you.'

'I'll come round tonight,' Diane muttered, starting to move away. 'If you're gonna be there.'

'Course,' she said, watching her off down the corridor.

She'd thought about calling Doug but that was only a viable option if she had a clue what she wanted to say to him, and she hadn't really. How to tell him that their kiss meant nothing and had just served as a reminder that she was currently embroiled in an argument with Diane? You couldn't tell someone that, especially not someone you'd loved for so many years.

So she left Doug as a problem to be sorted out later and waited anxiously for Diane at her flat. She wasn't certain yet whether she was going to tell her what had happened the previous evening. Part of her wanted to ignore the whole thing but it could always come back to haunt her at some point in the future. Besides, she didn't want to lie to Diane; there'd been enough of that between them in the recent past.

The knock on the door came just before eight. Steeling herself, she went to answer it and nodded Diane through to the living room. 'Do you want a drink?'

'No. I'm driving.'

'Right.' With a sigh, Nikki sat down and waited for Diane to do the same, though it took her a few moments. 'How are you?'

Diane looked up. 'I'm fine, Nikki. How are you?'

'Alright, I've obviously upset you,' she muttered. 'I'm sorry if I seemed to take Jessie Garrett's side yesterday. I didn't. I just… I had the Super whispering in my ear. I had to take it seriously.' Finishing, she glanced at Di. 'Say something.'

Her lover clasped her hands together tightly. 'Did you really think he wouldn't call me the minute you were out of the door?'

Nikki stared at her. 'What?'

'You know what I'm talking about,' Di answered bitterly.

Taking a moment to steady herself, Nikki then questioned, 'What did he tell you?'

Diane shook her head. 'I want you to tell me what happened.'

She could hardly believe this was happening. Whether to tell Diane should've been down to her, not Doug. That said, whether to tell Doug about her and Diane should've been down to her as well. They seemed to be developing a pattern, and not one she appreciated.

Finally, knowing that she was being watched, she answered, 'I kissed him. Last night. I'm sorry.'

'You kissed him?' Diane repeated, her tone indecipherable.

Nikki nodded. 'Yeah.'

There was a lengthy pause. 'That's funny. Because he was under the impression you'd slept together.'

She refrained from snorting, but only just. 'Pardon?'

'You're saying you didn't?'

'Well, I'd like to think I'd be aware of it,' she said, half-hoping some humour would lighten the situation.

Evidently not. 'Nikki, did you sleep with him or not?'

'Of course I didn't!'

'Then why would he say you had?'

'I don't know!' she replied, watching Diane's face closely. 'But I didn't sleep with him.'

The constable was quiet for a long moment. 'Even if you did…' She let out her breath angrily. 'I can't hate you, Nikki! I just need you to tell me the truth, okay? Tell me what happened last night.'

Shifting closer to Diane, she reached for her hand. 'I kissed him. I regret it and I'm sorry. But I promise you that's all that happened.'

Diane nodded, though Nikki couldn't tell if she believed her or not.

'Have a drink,' she muttered. 'Please.'

'I told you, I'm driving.'

'Di,' she murmured, stroking the back of her hand. 'I promise you I didn't sleep with him. I couldn't.'

'But you kissed him.'

'Yes,' she admitted, allowing the hand in her grasp to fall. 'I'd had a little to drink but it doesn't excuse it.'

'No. It doesn't.'

'Di,' she said, hesitantly placing her hand on her lover's thigh. 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen.'

'Then explain it to me,' the constable answered icily.

Withdrawing her hand, Nikki let out her breath heavily. 'I was preoccupied, he tried to cheer me up and it… It got out of hand. I don't know what happened. One minute we were listening to music and dancing and the next… we were kissing. I left then,' she added quickly. 'I couldn't…'

'Cheat on me?'

She almost recoiled at the detached manner of Diane's voice. 'I love you,' she said finally. 'I couldn't ignore that.'

'But you kissed him,' the constable repeated.

'Di, I need you to forgive me,' she said softly.

'You don't get it, do you, Nikki?' Diane said after a lengthy pause. 'Even if I wanted to walk away, I couldn't. But I…'

'I'm telling you the truth,' she interrupted.

Diane slowly nodded. 'Yeah, I know that. I just… I think I need a bit of time.'

Nikki sighed. 'Okay.'

Standing, Di glanced back to her. 'Are you going round there tonight?'

'No. I thought it was a bad idea.' Getting to her feet, Nikki reached tentatively for her lover's hands. 'I really am sorry.'

'I'm not surprised,' Diane said, shrugging. 'I always knew it was a possibility. I mean, you were married to the bloke for ten years, how can I compete with that? He knows you a lot better than I do.'

'I don't think that's true,' she replied. 'Not anymore.'

After examining her face, Di pulled her into her arms. 'I don't know if I can handle this,' she muttered into her ear. 'Every time you go round there I'm wondering whether this is the night something happens between you and him. And it's not a ridiculous idea either, is it?'

'I would never have slept with him. I couldn't.'

'Couldn't you?'

Inhaling the scent of Diane's hair, she briefly laughed. 'No.'

Eventually, they separated. 'I should go.'

'Don't,' Nikki said, refusing to release her hands. 'Stay.'

Di watched her. 'You really think that's a good idea?'

'Personally, I reckon it's the best idea I've had all week,' she answered, raising a small smile. When Diane didn't immediately rebuke the idea, she lifted a finger up to push a hair back behind her left ear then leaned forward to kiss her. 'Please.'

Holding Diane always felt more than right. It made her feel complete, more complete than she had in a long time: this was one embrace that she wanted to stay locked in forever sometimes. Hearing a light sigh, Nikki shuffled so she could see her lover's face. 'You okay?'

'Just thinking.'

'Oh.' After deliberation, she added, 'Do you wanna talk about it?'

'No. Probably should though.'

Nikki kissed her forehead. 'There's a bottle of wine in the fridge. How about if I crack that open?'

'Sounds like a plan.'

Drawing herself away from the warmth of the bed, she paused at the door to collect her dressing gown and glanced back to Diane still wrapped under the covers. She couldn't help but smile at seeing her there, looking more gorgeous than ever. To think, twenty four earlier she'd almost ruined this.

Going through to the kitchen she poured them both a glass of wine then, as an afterthought, balanced the bottle in her arms as she went back into the bedroom. Diane had shifted up so she was now upright and her face wasn't as bright as Nikki might've hoped.

'Here,' she said, passing her a glass before settling next to her in the bed. 'Cheers.'

Diane was quiet for more than a minute as she sipped her wine. Nikki let her hand rest casually on her lover's knee: it soothed her a little and she hoped it did the same for Diane. Finally, the constable muttered, 'There's a lot you don't know about me. And you haven't asked, which I'm grateful for.'

'I thought you'd tell me if you wanted me to know,' Nikki answered carefully.

'Truth is, I'm not good at talking about stuff like this. Easier to pretend it never happened.'

'Mmm, I think I know the feeling.'

Diane glanced up and smiled briefly. 'Yeah, you're the expert.'

Nikki kissed her lightly. 'Go on.'

Moving her gaze back down, Di took another sip of wine. 'Steve cheated on me with one of my mates. And,' she quickly went on, 'I cheated on him with the next-door neighbour's girlfriend.' She glanced upwards as if anticipating some kind of comment but Nikki just stayed silent, waiting until she continued. 'I didn't love her. I don't think Steve loved Maggie either come to that. But at least we realised that we weren't meant to be together. I think that's why we can still look each other in the face to be honest.'

Nikki still didn't speak; instead she just began massaging Diane's thigh.

'I don't do… this, Nikki. I don't get involved with people. It's easier that way. I can't… It's not me.' Diane paused. 'At least, it didn't used to be. It's all your fault.'

'Well, I apologise.'

'Yeah, so you should. You're the only one who's ever made me break my own rules.'

'I think the same applies,' Nikki replied, entwining their fingers.

Diane chuckled. 'Fair point.'

'Anyway, change can be a good thing.'

'You wouldn't have said that a year ago,' her lover pointed out.

'No,' she conceded. 'But you never know what's round the corner, do you? I could get shot again tomorrow.'

'Not if you know what's good for you, you won't.'

Nikki smiled. 'It was hypothetical.'

'Better have been,' Diane warned. 'I'm not going through that again if I can help it. You were alright; you were unconscious. But… I was just sat there going over and over everything in my head. One of the longest nights of my life,' she added with an attempt at an easy shrug. She failed and recognised it. 'See? I'm a hopeless case.'

'Di, contrary to what you think, showing how you're feeling isn't the end of the world. Can actually help sometimes, strange as it may sound.'

'I just… I can't do it. I don't want to do it. Avoid the mess: it's easier.'

'Yeah, till it catches up with you.'

'No one told me that had to happen,' Diane replied, shaking her head. 'Nikki, can I ask you something?'

'Course.'

'If I hadn't… If I hadn't told Doug when I did, if Liam hadn't seen anything… What would've happened? Would we just still be going along like we were?'

She didn't answer immediately. When she eventually did she made sure that she wasn't being watched. 'I wouldn't have told him. Didn't have the guts. Sorry if that makes me a coward.'

'You're honest about it,' Di said. 'Thanks. Don't suppose it matters much now anyway.'

'Nope. Not really. It doesn't…' Trailing off, she tried to find the right words. 'It doesn't mean I didn't want to tell him, you know? I just…'

'Nikki, it's fine. I knew it. I wasn't stupid enough to believe we were ever gonna make it work. Made me feel safer that way as well.'

'And now?' she asked carefully.

'And now… I don't know what to expect.'

'Makes two of us.'

'But I do know something,' Diane went on suddenly, squeezing her hand. 'We have to find some way of doing this. You know, working together and still… We might not see eye to eye all the time but I don't fancy worrying about whether you're gonna sleep with your ex or not if we have a disagreement.'

'I won'tdo that,' she objected.

'You nearly did, Nikki! I don't know if I can handle that possibility all the time.'

'It's not that simple. I can't exactly cut him out of my life, can I?'

'No, I know that,' Diane replied, half-smiling at her. 'But don't… Don't get drunk with him and don't dance with him. Please.'

Nikki nodded then kissed her. 'Deal. Which reminds me…' Stretching towards the bedside table she placed down her empty glass of wine and picked up her mobile instead.

'What are you doing?'

'Getting in there first,' she muttered, scrolling down her list of contacts before pressing the call button.

Two rings and then it was answered. 'Nikki?'

'Hiya, Doug. I just wanted to check about Sunday,' she continued, glancing to Diane. 'Do you want me to pick the girls up or are you dropping them off?'

He paused. 'Well, aren't you coming round before then?'

'I wasn't planning on it. I mean, you won't be seeing them properly for a couple of weeks, you should spend some time with them.'

'When you put it like that… I suppose it makes sense. Are you alright?'

'Fine.'

'Are you sure? You sound…'

'Doug,' she interjected. 'Sunday?'

'Um… I suppose you could pick them up when you finish work if it's not too much trouble.'

'Course it isn't. They're my kids.'

'Yeah, funnily enough, I realise that. Nikki…'

'I have to go,' she interrupted. 'I'll see you Sunday. And give the girls my love, alright? Bye.'

When she placed the phone back down on the bedside table, Diane was staring at her. 'You sure that was wise? He can make things difficult.'

'Only if we let him,' she answered.

When she first awoke she wasn't certain what had triggered it until she felt lips teasing down her neck. Smiling, she rolled over. 'Morning.'

'I didn't mean to wake you,' Diane said, looking guilty.

'I've been woken in worse ways,' Nikki replied. 'What time is it?'

'Early. Couldn't sleep.'

'Still thinking?'

'Yeah, off and on. Doesn't matter though.' Pausing for a moment, Di suddenly slipped out of the bed. 'I should shower.'

'Do you want some company?'

'Tempting an offer as that is…'

'You're turning me down?' Nikki queried, raising an eyebrow.

Diane shook her head. 'No. No, I'm not.'

'You're humming.'

She glanced up apologetically. 'Sorry, am I?'

Gina nodded. 'And it's very distracting.'

'I'll zip it,' she offered, glancing back down to her paperwork briefly. 'Was there a problem, Ma'am?'

'Something to wipe the smile off your face then,' the Inspector answered. 'Your husband's in the front office. And he's not on his own. Diane was showing him into the front interview room last I saw.'

Immediately on her feet, she brushed past Gina. 'Thanks, Ma'am,' she muttered, rushing to reception. She didn't wait for a reply to her curt knock; instead she just pushed open the door to find Diane and Doug sat opposite each other remarkably amicably. 'Hello.'

Diane had her arms crossed yet she seemed perfectly fine. 'Hiya.'

Doug, on closer inspection, seemed a tad annoyed but his voice when he spoke was calm and level. 'I wanted to speak to you.'

'I was keeping him company,' Diane added, standing. 'I'll leave you to it.'

Nikki glanced towards her, meeting her eye. 'Is everything alright?'

Diane shrugged. 'Yeah, fine.'

When the door closed Nikki took the seat her partner had vacated and looked to her estranged husband. 'What is it, Doug?'

Now they were alone he began to relax. 'You seemed on edge last night. I wanted to know if you were okay.'

'I'm at work. You couldn't have asked me some other time?'

'I was passing and I was worried,' he answered. 'It's not a good combination.'

Crossing her arms, Nikki questioned, 'Why did you lie to Diane?'

He didn't seem surprised by her asking that. He eventually shrugged. 'I wanted to shake her up, that's all.'

'You had no right!'

'Right?!' he repeated incredulously, then he took a long breath. 'I know it was wrong and I apologise. It won't happen again.'

'Well, it better hadn't.'

'Did you like the flowers?' he asked after a moment.

Pausing, she eventually nodded. 'They were very nice. Thank you.'

'But don't do it again?' he concluded for her.

'Something like that.'

He stood. 'Right. I suppose I'll see you Sunday then.'

'Are the kids all okay?' she queried, standing herself and opening the door for him.

'Oh, they're fine,' he answered, going out into reception. 'Rebecca's got a bit of a sniffle but it should clear up. And Andy said he'd introduce me to his girlfriend next month.'

Nikki smiled. 'When he starts bringing them home you have to watch him.'

'I said you might want to be there,' Doug went on, glancing at her as the automatic doors opened. 'He said he wouldn't mind.'

'Let's see, eh?' she replied evenly. 'See you Sunday.'

'Bye, Nikki.'

When she turned from the door she found Diane unsuccessfully trying to appear interested in a piece of paper at the desk. 'Haven't you got work to do?' she asked, approaching.

Di shrugged. 'I was just… reading.'

'Course you were. I sent him packing, alright? Happy?'

Her lover grinned slightly. 'Ecstatic.'

'Good. Now get out of here. You're making the place look untidy.'

In the early hours of Sunday morning she turned over expecting to find Diane sleeping beside her but instead found that side of the bed cold. Slipping out of the warm covers Nikki retrieved her robe before glancing at the clock which read just after three then going through to the kitchen where she found Diane at the table with a glass of water. 'Morning.'

Di glanced towards her, but barely. 'I didn't wake you did I?'

'No,' she replied, sitting down herself. 'How long have you been up?'

'Don't think I really got to sleep to be honest.'

'So you gonna tell me what's going on or do I have to guess? I mean, it's three in the morning; it might take me a while.'

Smiling briefly, Diane shook her head. 'It's nothing.'

'You can tell me, you know.'

'Nikki,' Diane answered, getting to her feet suddenly. 'I said it's nothing. So leave it, okay?'

Watching the constable out of the room she sighed. Diane had been pensive since their disagreement over Jessie Garrett and the ill-advised kiss with Doug but Nikki doubted she'd get her to talk to her about it in the near future. Di was still vastly protective of herself; it grated sometimes. Still, she hadn't exactly been an open-book herself until recently- she couldn't blame Diane for being the same way. It was a difference in people: she'd always known what Doug was thinking, or at least she'd always been able to take a good stab at it, but Di was an unknown quantity, a different matter entirely. It was going to take some adjusting to; she recognised that.

Yet before she could hope to infiltrate Diane's mind she had two weeks of the girls to cope with. That meant trying to get some sleep and waking up relatively refreshed. Going back through to the bedroom she found Diane already under the covers with her eyes closed. As she placed her head down on the pillow though, Nikki heard a soft, 'Goodnight,' and replied with the same. At least Di wasn't annoyed with her then. That made her feel quite a bit better about it all.

'You look like you've got a headache,' Nikki commented when Doug opened the door to her on Sunday evening.

'Do I?' he questioned, allowing her past. 'Strange.'

A loud thumping on the stairs made her wince as she watched Rebecca bound down towards her. 'Hiya, sweetheart.'

'Daisy's not ready yet!' her daughter whined.

'Well, if you give a hand she might be quicker,' Nikki answered then smiled as Rebecca practically jumped back up the stairs. Turning to Doug, she found him shaking his head. 'What?'

'They'll kill each other,' he replied.

'So long as the mess is here,' she said with a shrug.

'You want a coffee?' he asked, going through to the kitchen. 'They may be a while.'

Recalling her promise to Diane- even though coffee wasn't an alcoholic drink- she shook her head. 'I'm alright, thanks. Where are the boys?'

'Andy's out with this girl of his and Liam's upstairs with his headphones surgically glued to his head. I'm not sure I've actually spoken to him since Wednesday.'

'Nothing new there then,' she answered. 'What do you know about Andy's new girlfriend?'

'Ah, I haven't got a name yet, if that's what you're angling for. But give me time.'

'He can run rings around you,' she reminded him.

'I'm deeply offended by that,' Doug said with a mock-frown. 'I am a copper, you know.'

'Mmm, I had heard.' Turning around, she saw Daisy coming through. 'Hiya.'

'Rebecca stole my Nintendo DS.'

Nikki glanced backwards to Doug. 'Good. In that case you'll have to talk to me. Come on, get a move on. Your dad needs to relax before work.'

'That's a funny one,' he answered.

'You look exhausted,' Diane said when they passed in the corridor on Monday afternoon.

Drawing to a halt, Nikki shrugged. 'Rebecca's sniffle turned into flu. It'll be a miracle if Daisy doesn't catch it as well.'

'Someone's gonna have a fun-filled few days.'

'Yep,' she answered. 'You okay?'

'Fine. Who's looking after Rebecca while you're working?'

Nikki rolled her eyes. 'Auntie Annie volunteered. Probably wants something in return but I didn't ask.'

'For the best,' Diane said with a small smile. 'Have to meet your sister sometime.'

'I'd rather you didn't. Annie's got a bit of a vivid imagination.'

'What, seems to think you were a wild teenager?'

'See, completely off the mark,' Nikki replied. 'I'll see you later.'

'Wait, do you want a lift home tonight? I've got the car.'

She nodded. 'Yeah, thanks.'

Diane hadn't been overly talkative during the journey home but Nikki hadn't pressed it. She enjoyed the fact that they weren't expected to constantly entertain each other and just liked being in Diane's company. She even managed to smile at that fact; considering that things had been so hectic in the last few months it was nice to enjoy some smooth road. Besides, she was going to have to adjust to being in a situation with Diane that wasn't crazy and didn't involve constant anguish for all involved. Part of her worried that they might not be able to achieve that. What if all they had together was because of the danger and the adrenalin?

Yet Nikki shook that thought from her head by recalling the simple glance Diane had thrown her before she'd left the car. Simple but breathtaking. It made her smile just to think of it. Surely that meant, then, they were going to be fine.

Which was more than could be said of her daughters if they didn't stop driving her mad. The illnesses she could cope with, the arguments were what was going to make her jump out of the kitchen window.

'Give that back to your sister!'

'It's mine!' Rebecca moaned.

'No. No, it's not. I bought it, I should know.'

'Well, I'm just using it!'

Glancing to her elder daughter frowning on the sofa, Nikki shook her head and moved out into the hallway. 'You can do what you want!' As there was a knock on the door, she concluded, 'Rip each other into little bits if you want! I mean, what do I care? I'll only the one who has to clean it up!'

Opening the door, she found Diane staring quizzically at her. 'Having fun?'

Nikki found herself smiling, despite the pounding headache that was beginning to form. 'It's a joy. Really.'

Diane held up her mobile phone. 'You left this in my car. Thought you might need it since you're off for a few days.'

'I didn't even notice,' she said honestly, taking it. 'Things have been...'

'Mum!' Daisy shouted.

'Hectic,' she finished with a shrug. 'Come in for a minute.'

'I don't think I…'

'They don't bite,' Nikki interrupted.

Diane still hesitated on the opposite side of the threshold. 'Doug wouldn't like it.'

That she'd concede but… 'He's not here, is here? Just for a bit?'

Very reluctantly it seemed, Diane nodded and stepped inside, removing her jacket. 'They'll hate me.'

Nikki shook her head. 'Why do you say that?'

'Call it a copper's hunch.'

With that Diane took off into the living room and Nikki followed after a brief pause. 'You two be polite. This is my friend, Diane.'

Rebecca merely muttered an acknowledgement to the doorway while not taking her eyes off the television but Daisy, ever nosy and always trying to be mature, stood up. 'I'm always polite!'

Nikki raised an eyebrow. 'You are? First I've heard of it. What were you shouting me for?'

Daisy flopped back down onto the sofa. 'Have you got that medicine?'

'What medicine?' she questioned, moving forward and rearranging the blankets so both girls were covered. 'I haven't seen any.'

'Dad said he'd give it to you.'

'Well, he didn't,' Nikki answered, stepping back.

'But we need it!' Daisy moaned. 'It helps!'

Sighing, Nikki looked to Diane who immediately shook her head. 'Don't even think about it.'

Indicating they move through into the kitchen, Nikki closed the door. 'I'll be there and back in twenty minutes.'

'No, you can't leave me with them!'

'They're too ill to cause problems!'

'You told them to rip into each other if they wanted!'

'Well, they won't,' she tried with a shrug. 'Di, you just have to make sure they don't move. You'd be doing me a really big favour.'

She could see her lover was wavering. 'I just…'

'Please?' Nikki asked, running her finger down Diane's cheek.

Finally, the constable nodded. 'Alright. But don't be long. I'm no good at this.'

The stench hit her as soon as she entered the house. Liver, she'd guess. Instead of going straight up to the bathroom as she'd planned Nikki went into the kitchen, only to find Liam gingerly taking a shrivelled packet from the microwave and depositing it in the bin before scratching his head.

Trying not to smile, she questioned, 'Everything alright, Liam?'

He spun on the spot, evidently embarrassed. 'Nikki, hi. Didn't hear you come in.'

'No, obviously. What happened?'

Shrugging, he went to the sink and wet a cloth. 'Microwave meal kind of exploded.'

Watching him for a moment, she then looked over the kitchen. 'Just the one?'

'Well, no,' he admitted. 'I was having pasta first but I dropped it. Cleaned it up though.'

'That was over there, was it?' she queried, pointing to a sticky patch by the washing machine.

'Oh, can you still see it?'

'Take it your Dad's gone already?' she asked, moving to get the bucket from under the sink.

'Yeah. About an hour ago.'

'Andy not around?'

'He said he'd be late,' Liam said with a shrug. 'I can look after myself.'

Nikki laughed. 'You can, can you?'

He was probably about to retort but then he sniffed. 'What is that smell?'

Barely containing another smile, she told him, 'I'll sort this out. You go get your sleeping bag.'

'Why, where am I going?'

'I've got a sofa. And food in the fridge that won't explode.'

Liam looked uncomfortable. 'I don't know.'

'If you're worried about your dad,' Nikki replied carefully, 'I can call him and ask him how he feels about it. But I'm sure he'd think it's better than you staying here on your own with nothing to eat.'

'I know but…' He shook his head. 'He's been alright this week and I don't wanna…'

'Liam,' she interrupted. 'I'm not forcing you out the door. But what do you want to do?'

Finally, he shrugged. 'I don't really wanna stay here on my own.'

'That's sorted then. I'll give him a call. You go get yourself ready. And bring some fresh socks this time.'

Grinning, he moved to the door. 'That wasn't me, that was Andy.'

'Yeah, so you kept saying.'

Doug had been fine about it. She hadn't thought he would kick up a fuss, not when he was still building bridges with Liam, and she was thankful he hadn't. The kitchen was sparkling, though minus a mop after she noticed that it was coated in Liam's pasta, which at least explained why the house smelled quite as much as it did. Leaving a note for Andy, they left and were actually drawing up outside the block of flats before she realised that Liam was about to come face to face with Diane.

Shutting off the engine, she turned to him. 'Liam, I didn't think…'

'What, you forgot you don't want me here or something?' he questioned, fidgeting.

'Don't be stupid,' she warned. 'No, I just…'

'She's in there,' he interjected, glancing back out of the window. 'I know. You couldn't leave Daisy and Rebecca on their own. It's not a big deal.'

'It is,' Nikki answered with a soft smile. 'If you're feeling uncomfortable…'

'Don't expect me to like her.'

'Of course I don't expect that. Liam, she'll leave as soon as we get in there if that's what you want.'

'No,' he said instantly. 'It's fine.'

Unsure, she pressed, 'I really think that it'd…'

'No, Nikki!' he objected. 'I can handle this. Stop treating me like a kid, okay?'

A little surprised by his determinedness, she contemplated arguing the fact but recognised his stubborn streak would probably win out in the end. Besides, if he really believed he could cope with being near Diane, who was she to dampen his spirits? Perhaps he could, she wasn't certain. Knowing him as well as she did up until six months ago, she would've supposed he could manage a difficult situation but this… This wasn't a difficult situation. This was meeting up with someone you trusted who had, as Liam saw it, used him and betrayed him. Diane hadn't done that: Nikki wouldn't believe that her lover would ever have manipulated Liam for her own ends. Diane was many things- persistent, strong-willed, intelligent- but she wasn't a bitch. Nikki was sure of that and believed it wholeheartedly.

Reaching for the door handle, she glanced back to the passenger seat and said, rather hesitantly, 'Diane never meant to hurt you. Or anyone else for that matter.'

Liam's expression was indecipherable. 'She just wanted you. I get it.'

'I'm not treating you like a kid if I say that I'm worried about what might happen in there, am I?' Nikki queried finally.

After a moment he shrugged. 'I want to talk to her.'

'Can I ask why?'

'No.'

'Well, then, I don't think I'm willing to…'

'Nikki,' Liam interrupted. 'I thought you weren't treating me like a kid.'

'I'm not,' she argued. 'But can you understand, Liam, that me seeing your sisters is the most important thing in the world to me? If they're upset by anything then…'

'I know that. I'm not an idiot.'

'You know very well I'm not saying that.'

'Then let's go inside,' Liam retorted.

Shrugging, she acquiesced. When they reached the landing, she almost hesitated again but knew that she wasn't escaping from this one. And Liam did have the right, if he wanted, to tell Diane precisely what he thought of her. She couldn't deny him that anymore than she could deny Doug his resentment. Besides, she couldn't deny Liam anything after the events of the last couple of months: she felt as though she owed him.

Opening the door, she heard voices from the living room. Not drawing attention to the fact she was back, she ushered Liam in and closed the door quietly.

'How can you like spiders?' Diane was asking.

'Well, I'm not scared of them,' Daisy answered in her best adult voice. Nikki could almost imagine her sat there with her arms crossed, watching Diane like a hawk.

'I didn't say I was scared of them,' Diane objected, through a full mouth. 'I said I didn't trust them.'

'They're alright,' replied Daisy.

'I don't trust anything with more legs than me.'

'What about dogs?' Rebecca questioned suddenly. 'They've got more legs than you.'

'And you turn your back on a dog it wees on you,' Diane said. 'Honest.'

Nikki smiled then nodded to Liam that they could go through. Rebecca tried to jump up when she saw them but flopped back down onto the sofa through exhaustion. The girls were on either side of Diane, with a box of biscuits resting on the constable's knee.

Swallowing what she was chewing, Diane ran her gaze over to Liam. 'Hiya.'

'Hi,' Liam said carefully, lowering his head slightly. 'My tea blew up so I…'

'You don't have to explain, Liam,' Diane interjected. 'I was just going.'

'You weren't,' Daisy put in.

Diane smiled uncomfortably. 'Well, I should. You two need to get to bed.'

'Actually…' Liam said then trailed off and cleared his throat. 'Can I talk to you please?'

When Diane looked questioningly towards her, Nikki muttered, 'You can use the kitchen. Get yourself something to eat as well, Liam,' she added. 'There's plenty in the fridge.'

He nodded and Diane, with one more apprehensive glance, followed him through into the kitchen where the door closed behind them. Shaking away her bad feeling about that, Nikki looked to the girls. 'You both okay?'

Daisy shrugged. 'Diane's cool.'

She smiled. 'Is she?'

'Yeah, I like her. But she's scared of spiders!'

'No,' she's not,' Rebecca said quietly. 'She doesn't trust them. And I don't either.'

Pulling out the medicine she'd picked up from the bathroom at Doug's house, Nikki instructed, 'You two go get ready for bed and I'll bring this into you in a minute.'

'Is Diane going?' Daisy asked.

'Yep. But I'll ask her to say goodbye first, alright?'

Rebecca gave her a hug as she passed. 'Thanks, Mum.'

Ten minutes later, Diane emerged alone and sat beside her on the sofa. 'He's making himself a sandwich.'

'Is he okay?' Nikki questioned as casually as she could.

Diane shrugged. 'He's the most mature teenager I've ever met, I'll give him that one.'

Frowning, Nikki turned her body to face the constable's. 'What? What did he want? What did he say?'

'He said,' Diane answered eventually, 'thank you. He thanked me for getting him down off that roof without him doing anything stupid. He said he won't turn out like his mum has and that if I hadn't have stopped him then he would've probably would've hit rock bottom.'

'He actually thanked you?' Nikki said dubiously.

'I was more surprised than you. But he's just being straight with me about it. He still blames me for what happened, don't get me wrong: but I think he's accepted I wasn't using him to get to you. Which I wasn't. I mean, I…'

'You wouldn't do that,' she interrupted, squeezing her hand. 'I know that.'

'One of the few things you do know,' Diane muttered, withdrawing her hand.

'What do you mean by that?' Nikki questioned.

Diane shook her head. 'Have the girls gone to bed?'

'Yeah. I said you'd pop in before you left. If you don't mind.'

'Course not. I'll do it now.'

When Diane had disappeared down the hall, Nikki went through into the kitchen where she found Liam munching on a ham sandwich. 'No incidents with the butter then?'

'It tried to fight back, I wouldn't let it.'

'Good. You're learning. You okay, Liam?'

Swallowing, he nodded. 'I'm alright. You?'

'What, with Daisy and Rebecca both having the flu? You having a laugh?'

He grinned. 'Dad had steam coming out of his ears. He was happy when you picked them up.'

'Yeah, I'll bet he was.' Nikki paused. 'Is he okay, your dad?'

Liam shrugged. 'Think so. He's almost back to normal. I think he's trying to make things normal. But they won't be so…'

'Liam,' she said tentatively, leaning against the counter, 'since you're so hell-bent on being treated like an adult, can I tell you something?'

'Is it about Dad?'

'Yeah, in a way. I do miss him, Liam. And I miss you and Andy and your sisters, I miss you all like you wouldn't believe. I'm even missing that horrible noise that Daisy makes when she doesn't get her own way.'

Liam smiled a little. 'The one that sounds like a squealing pig?'

'Mmm, that one. Sometimes all I want is to be back with you lot running around, making the house look untidy. But…' Taking a moment, she then shrugged. 'It wouldn't have been the same. I didn't want your dad ever looking at me the way that…'

'The way that Mum looks at him,' Liam finished.

'Exactly. When I see you, I don't want arguments, I don't want you getting upset, or Andy getting angry or whatever. I just want… I won't say I want it to be painless because that'd be stupid but… I want it to be easier for you. I don't want you being unhappy, Liam.'

'I'll be alright,' he answered.

'Will you? It's not going down as the best year of your life, is it? What with Greg Clarke on top of everything else.'

'Yeah, but I'm not the one spending three years behind bars, am I?' he reasoned. 'I'm alright. As long as I don't…'

'You know something?' Nikki said, stepping forward. 'There's a difference between you and your mum. Because your mum's all sorts of wonderful things. I know she is, I remember. She's got a great sense of humour, she's around when you need her- she's a great listener, a great friend. But she's terrified, Liam. She's terrified of being left on her own. She always was, even before she split up with your dad. You're different,' she said with a smile. 'You know the fear's there but you don't let it control you. You stood up to Greg Clarke, I know how hard that was. And I know she told you not to. You can do anything you want to, just so long as you remember that anything you're scared of isn't worth all that much. It's just an obstacle to get over. And you will get over all of them. I promise you. You've got a lot of people who care about you, Liam. Me, for one. And I'm not about to let you fail at anything. It'd mess up my nice clean record,' she finished, nudging him.

Liam was quiet for a moment then he briefly hugged her. 'Can I get back to my sandwich now?'

'Be my guest,' she answered, going back through to the living room where she found Diane leaning against the doorway with a strange look on her face. 'How much of that did you hear?'

'Enough,' her lover answered, pushing the door to. 'You're pretty amazing, you know that?'

'Well, I have been told…' she said, kissing her cheek.

'No, I… I mean it, Nikki.' With a frown, Diane went to sit down on the sofa. 'There's something I've gotta do. I should've… I didn't do it before because I'm a coward, plain and simple.'

Starting to get a little concerned, Nikki sat down beside her. 'Don't leave me in suspense.'

It took Diane more than a minute to answer but, when she did, she turned and took her hand. 'I saw you with the girls earlier. You're so natural with them. And Liam… He's not even your own son and you're still better with him than…'

Running her thumb over the palm of the hand she was holding, Nikki said, 'Di, what are you trying to say?'

'I want… No, I need,' she amended with a mild shrug, 'us to book some leave together. I think we should…' Diane looked up and smiled weakly in a manner that Nikki had never seen before. It was a mix of worry and love, she supposed, but the emergence of it was enough to throw her off-balance, even before Diane continued. 'I want us to visit Robert. Together. I think it's time.'

Pondering this for a moment, Nikki then said, 'I didn't think you'd ever suggest it.'

'I don't think I was planning to. But I want this. I need to…'

Nikki cut her off with a long kiss. 'I'm not gonna say no am I?'

Diane smiled and glanced to the floor. 'I thought you might.'

She shook her head. 'No, you didn't. Not really.'