Okay, the Improbability Drive is stuck... the evil plot bunny is still biting... and since certain members should share responsibility for this flight of insanity ... I dedicate this to mrs-stuart-turner, Gem6 and DanielleE for actually reading this far, and Pink Lemons for writing this idea into my head in the first place ... ;)

Stuart was back on familiar territory, partnered with Stevie, he could concentrate on a mild flirtation and getting a grip on things. Yeah... Right... A distant memory of perfume was still wafting around in his brain like a wraith in the night, and lying in his own bed he had only to close his eyes to bring back memories of feeling safe and cared for ... and this was definitely doing his head in. He was DS Stuart Turner, fast track copper; he even had his own spot on television and he didn't need anyone. Just had to get his mind back into the game. Stop it... you know you don't stand even the vaguest chance of resolving this feeling... so just forget it before they cart you off in a straitjacket...

"SARGE"

Stuart jumped. "Huh!"

Stevie glared at him, "Wakey, wakey!" She handed him the binoculars, "the target ... remember."

"Errr ... yes." Embarrassed to be caught out daydreaming again. Stuart grabbed the binoculars and peered through them. The park bench came into focus, and there she was, leaning lovingly on Mickey's shoulder, wish it was me ... no dammit, you don't... for god's sake... concentrate.

A watching and waiting brief was what they'd been given. Information had fallen into Sam Nixon's hands that a certain well known drug dealer was back on the ground. Which is why Mickey and Jo were playing love's young dream on the park bench, and he and Stevie Moss were stuck in the car together. Only they'd been there two hours, and they were all fed up.

Stuart made his mind up, this was a complete waste of time, and if I don't stop staring at Jo and Mickey together I am going to go stark raving mad. "This is a complete bust. I'm pulling the plug."

She could feel his eyes on the back of her neck, those beautiful expressive brown eyes, and like it or not, girl, he's exotic, dark, handsome, a charismatic bad boy, and be honest with yourself, you like him... and he was kind and concerned, which is something Stuart normally keeps very well hidden, during that Statham thing last year ... and he was the one who kept going ... kept people out looking for you ... you owe him... seeing him lying in that hospital bed, thinking that he might die ... something's changed and you know it.

Sitting on a park bench next to Mickey, pretending to be young lovers out enjoying a picnic, she could close her eyes and remember. The weight of his body pressed against yours, his head resting against your shoulder, those exotic good looks marred by pain, you just wanted to hold him and make it better for him.

Well Stuart was going to be okay. Mainly because Peters had lied about the state of the needle. But he'd admitted the truth in the end. Stuart's making a valiant attempt to put it all behind him, so should you. But there was the issue of remembrance.

On some very fundamental level, she wanted and needed Stuart Turner. And he knew she was gay and therefore off limits, so if he had any feelings for her, he'd be keeping them so far under wraps she'd never be able to get to them. Impasse.

The radio crackled, "Mickey, Jo, I'm calling this off."

"Understood." Mickey grinned at his companion, "Well that was pretty pointless, but it beats an afternoon of paperwork any day."

Jo was grateful for the diversion and grinned back. "Sure does, hun."

The friendly little exchange was not lost on their Sergeant.

Stevie Moss smirked quietly to herself. Well this is a turn up for the books, and one very weird little secret. She looked up at her Sergeant, underneath that control freak exterior, and when he wasn't trying to be a cocky git, there was a really nice guy trying to get out. She just couldn't figure out why he should choose to be such an arse at times. Now this. Something that she had never in her wildest dreams imagined happening. Cocky smoothie Stuart Turner falling for gay tomboy Jo. The really odd part, was that somehow she could see it working out, he needs someone thoughtful and caring like Jo, and she likes him...

Stevie interrupted this promising chain of thought as Jo and Mickey joined them in the back seat, and was in time to see the swift look in the rear view mirror that Stuart gave Jo, who was sitting behind him. It was the kind of look a hungry man might give the last fudge sundae in the shop. Interesting...

Jo sighed quietly to herself. She could tell by the rigid set of his head and the over emphatic gear changes that Stuart was in a bad mood, and she had a strange feeling that the bad mood was linked directly to her and the little door handle incident the other day. He'd gone from leaping about like a startled hare to certain bravado in her presence which was actually quite irritating. It was as though he was determined to prove something to himself and her, which really isn't necessary, I get the message, you are embarrassed by what happened in the hospital ... which is killing me an inch at a time ... but I can't tell you, because if you're freaked out now, what will you be like if I tell you that I want you...

Stuart's eyes were drawn irresistibly to the rear view mirror, Jo was looking out of the window, but he still caught the flash of hurt in her eyes. I did that. Shit. He didn't have a clue what to do. He wished he could have rewound the clock to last August when he'd held her in his arms and actually had the chance. But you would have screwed it up, like with Sam, just like any other girls you've met. Losing Sam was a big enough hurt, wrecking your friendship with Jo could be an even bigger hurt.