Hi, thanks again so much for all your reviews! Deeply grateful! Sorry this is so short a chapter, but I've had this knocking around in my head since yesterday and needed to get it down! And I also felt that this conversation deserved a little space all of its own!

Next update will be longer! Hope you enjoy!

:-)

"You're kidding!" As soon as these words were out, Jill knew how pointless the rhetorical question sounded. One thing Sabrina never joked about was her job. The question hung in the silent room, like an unbidden wasp waiting to be swatted away.

The look Sabrina gave her, the slight shake of her friends head, the not just physically beaten look she had about her, said a lot more than words.

Jill could only understand a little of the 'why' question that had made it's instant way to her lips though. Nothing else made sense.

"But why, Bri? I mean, I know you're hurting, but…" Jill closed a warm hand around Sabrina's wrist. Sabrina looked into Jill's deeply concerned eyes and took a deep breath. She had thought this answer through time and time again and had rehearsed in her mind how she would tell Jill - and everyone else. When she saw them. But now the moment was here, she felt a little as though she was stabbing her friend in the back while her sister was off trying to get Kelly back.

Jill had begun to speak again.

"Bri, you've had a really bad shock, I know, but…" Jill gesticulated with her arms out to Sabrina "…this is just not like you!"

"Screwing things up isn't like me either Jill - and I've screwed things up big time." She sighed.

"What are you talking about?" Jills' confused and slightly impatient tone didn't go unnoticed by Sabrina. She licked her swollen lips and tried to explain.

"Maybe we shouldn't have called the cops Jill - or at least discussed it with Charlie. This case was always going to go bad…"

"But you couldn't have known!" Jill interjected. "You couldn't have known anything! Besides, Alexandra Limardo had you watched before you knew it. They're still watching us now!" Jill cursed inwardly. She hadn't intended to worry Bri with this information.

Sabrina's frown deepened. "What do you mean? You've been tailed here? Did they say anything? Did they do anything to you?" Sabrina's voice rose as her questions tumbled out. Jill put her other hand on Sabrina's arm.

"Hey, it's okay, take it easy!" Jill tried to re-assure her, but Sabrina was clearly alarmed. Jill smiled to try and reduce Sabrina's anxiety. "I had a little talk with them and they went away." She said in a light, pleasant voice.

"But they'll be back." Sabrina pointed out. Jill became serious again.

"More than likely, but right now, they're not important - you are."

"No, Kris and Kelly are." Sabrina replied. "We should update the police on what's going on, but what if it gets back to Alexandra? You could be in danger Jill. Alexandra can do anything she wants and I - we can't do a thing!" She took in another pained breath then continued. "I should have talked to Charlie after the house got torched. I was suspicious about mob involvement then, but I thought we could handle it!" Sabrina's voice was rising again. "I mean, for pity's sake Jill - did I really think we could take on the Mafia?"

Jill could almost hear Sabrina cursing herself, blaming herself. Now she understood Sabrina's self doubt. Sabrina had leant back into the pillows, exhausted and in pain.

"Oh Sabrina, listen to me - none of this is your fault!" She tried to make eye contact with Bri but failed.

"And for that matter, why didn't Charlie do any more? What about all his connections?"

The more Jill thought about this, the more questions popped into her head and the more she voiced them, for her own sake as well as Bri's.

If the police were contacted, why haven't they done anything? Why did Charlie still allow Kris to go after Kelly on her own?" Jill sighed, now feeling frustrated. Sabrina shrugged in her pillows.

"Maybe Charlie's attention was elsewhere."

Jill noted the slight sarcasm in Bri's voice and didn't really agree with the lack of concern that the remark inferred. She knew Charlie was always there for them. Always. Sabrina knew it too. But Jill kept silent. She realised Bri was just sounding off.

"So anyway," Sabrina said listlessly, "maybe you could speak to Bosley - ask him to call Charlie to discuss police intervention…"

"Sure, I'll do that Sabrina. But I'm not telling Bosley - or Charlie, that you want to quit."

Sabrina then looked at Jill.

"No, I wouldn't ask you to Jill."

"So, is this the only reason you want out?" Jill pressed on.

Sabrina held Jill's gaze. "That, and the fact that Kelly and Kris are out there on their own, maybe getting the crap kicked out of them too…" She saw Jill flinch and regretted her bluntness.

"…and maybe, just maybe, I'd like a family, before I get the crap kicked out of me, for good."

Jills attention had wandered slightly, to Kris, feeling her absence quite badly at the moment. But with Sabrina's last remark, all of her attention snapped back into the room.

"You're not…?"

"No!" Sabrina smiled a little, and paused, watching the relief spread on Jill's face. "But what if I wanted to, Jill?"

Jill thought to herself a moment, before replying. Although Bri had been married before, she'd never really known Bri to discuss wanting a family.

"So what's stopping you? You were a cop. Being a cop is a dangerous job. Being in the army, the navy… flying an aeroplane! It doesn't stop everyone having a family, Bri." She concluded. She knew that using logic as an argument would get her further than any emotional outbursts. She studied Sabrina's reaction.

"If you want a family Bri, go ahead and have one. But don't use this job as an excuse for staying single. That's not fair. On any of us."

Sabrina's eyes narrowed, then she raised one eyebrow at Jill.

"You quit?"

"That's different - and you know it. I wanted a new career, not a new family house with a new family car."

"Yeah, I know. Sorry." Sabrina sounded deflated. She was so tired now, but she didn't like where Jill's reasoning was taking the conversation. Apart from the fact that she didn't like being outsmarted - even by Jill right now - her own emotions were starting to get the better of her. She turned her head away from Jill, not wanting her to see this, and not wanting to see the emotions that were plainly etching themselves on Jill's face, even though she was doing a damned good job of keeping them from running riot.

"Anyway, there it is. My minds made up."

"Sabrina, I don't really think you've thought this through…"

Sabrina cut her off. "What do you think I've been thinking through, lying here while Kris and Kelly are in danger because I was too cocky and too careless to think straight?"

Jill blinked at Sabrina's outburst, but then batted back.

"Well feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to solve anything, and neither is running away!"

"I'm not…" Sabrina began, then fell silent. Boy, Jill was right on the nail. As usual. She was feeling sorry for herself. But didn't she have a right to? But did she have a right to run away? She felt a lump come into her throat. She tried to swallow it but it wasn't going anywhere, unlike a tear that just escaped its long time imprisonment and was sliding down her cheek. Damn it.

"Damn it!" Bri said out loud, disgusted with herself. Before she could raise her arm to vanquish the offender, Jill's hand was already there, wiping the tear away gently with the back of her fingers. Why did Sabrina always have to feel so responsible for everything? Because she was Sabrina, that's why.

"Sabrina, it's okay. It's okay to feel…"

"Weak?" Sabrina finished for her, self disgust evident in her voice.

How about hurt, angry, with the ones who did this to you?" Jill continued to brush Sabrina's face gently, even though the first tear was gone. She also wanted to point out the fact that Kelly had played her part in things too, but that was another conversation, for another day. She chose another tactic.

"And I know you Bri, you feel out of control of things and that gets to you too. Being badly beaten up can make anyone feel like that. Being badly beaten can make anyone feel…" Jill chose the word carefully.

" …vulnerable."

Another tear stole away from its hiding place and Sabrina finally looked back at Jill, more tears welling up and falling unhindered down her face.

Jill saw the anguish in Bri's usually calm brown eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Sabrina." Jill whispered. Her warm tones and soothing motions were suddenly too much for Sabrina's already crumbling wall, and she wept quietly, feeling all the turmoil of recent days come avalanching down around her.

"It's alright Bri, I'm going to help you through this. We all are. Please stop worrying Bri, okay? You don't need to carry everything on your own shoulders. This is a team, right? Please, Bri. Remember that. We need each other."

Sabrina's small sobs were subsiding, and she drew away from the shoulder that Jill had offered across the bed, and attempted at the same time to dry scrub her face and get control of her emotions. Even if they were the only things she could control right now.

"Thanks Jill. I mean it." Sabrina relaxed back into the pillows with a sigh, feeling actually, a little better. Jill really wanted then to ask if Bri still meant it about leaving, but decided against it.

"You're welcome."

"Jill?"

Yeah Bri?"

"Don't you dare tell anyone I…"

Jill smiled. "There you go, worrying again!" She patted Bri's arm.

"I'm going to go call Bosley and get something to eat. My stomach thinks I'm on hunger strike!" She stood up to leave.

"Do me a favour, Bri?"

"U-huh?"

"Think things through some more, huh?"

She got a tight smile from Sabrina, and figured that was as much as she could ask for. It was enough for now. She walked out of the room and went to find the phones.