Heya guys, next chapter for you. Thanks to Laura (SaMaNdPhiL4eVeR), Jodie, Elz, Laura (S-Nixon), Strizzy, Lynsey and Sam for reviewing. Just to warn you, there is ocassional swearing in this chapter. Luv ya all Gemz xxx

Chapter 15- The Fallout

Zain looked up at Sam; he couldn't believe what she'd just told him. His wife and his best friend, how could they? Inside, Zain felt as though his world was crumbling around him but on the outside, he was still composed. Zain continued to look up at Sam, keeping eye contact with her until she looked away. He got up, picked up the car keys and went to open the front door. 'Zain, please just me-' Sam stopped as Zain slammed the door in her face, 'explain,' she finished.

Zain pulled the car up outside Phil's house about 10minutes later. He walked up the garden path and knocked on the door. When he didn't get an answer, he banged on the door, 'come on Phil!' Zain shouted. 'I know you're in there!'

He saw Phil come to the door and he opened it. His gaze locked on Zain for a moment but it was enough, enough to know the reason why he was here. Phil took a deep breath and walked through to his living room. Zain entered the house and slammed the door after him before following Phil into the living room. 'Why Phil?' why did you do it?' Zain asked. 'Why did you have to pick her?'

'I love her,' Phil replied.

'Really? If you really want what I've got so badly Phil, then you can have it,' Zain said as he took his wedding ring off and threw it down on the floor. 'You wanted Sam because you couldn't have her, that's not love Phil. I can't believe I didn't see it before, you were jealous of me, you arrogant bastard.'

'I'm not the arrogant bastard Zain,'

'Yes you are,'

'I wasn't the one who walked away from her after telling her you didn't have a clue why you were marrying her,'

Zain walked towards Phil and grabbed his shirt before pulling his fist back. 'Well?' Phil said. 'What are you waiting for? If you're gonna do it Zain just do it.'

Zain looked at Phil once more, Phil sighed. A stony silence descended between the two of them. 'She…she came to my door in tears…devastated because she thought you didn't love her…that's how it all started.' Phil finally said, breaking the silence that had descended between them.

Zain met Phil's eyes, 'you mean it started before…before the wedding?' Zain asked, trying his hardest to keep his voice level.

Phil didn't answer, deep down, Zain knew the answer anyway. He couldn't believe it. He turned on his heel and left the house.

Zain got into the car and rested his head against the steering wheel. He couldn't believe that he'd been betrayed so thoroughly by his own wife and best friend. Zain still had no idea what he was doing to do, for the time being at least. He put his key into the ignition and drove away from Phil's house.

Zain pulled up about 100yards from his and Sam's house. He wasn't gonna go in, he couldn't. Zain was too tired and whole thing was still too raw for him to comprehend anything. He decided to sleep in the car, just for that night and then he'd work what he was going to do about Sam, Phil and his marriage in the morning.

Sam woke up about 7:00 the next morning. She turned around and saw that the other side of the bed was cold and empty, which could mean only one thing; Zain hadn't come home the night before. Sam had been worried sick about Zain and she was wondering where he was. Still, it wasn't really surprising after what Sam had told him. She wasn't sure what this would mean for her and Zain's marriage; would they stay together or end up separating after only a month of marriage?

Zain woke up at about 7:30. He rubbed his eyes and focussed on his surroundings as he remembered where he was. He sat up and banged his head on the car roof as he did so. Zain had slept on the back seat of his seat after what Sam had told him. He massaged his head as he climbed back into the driver's seat and began to look at his and Sam's house. Zain couldn't face seeing Sam just yet so he decided to wait until she'd gone off work and then go in and get changed. He knew that he probably wouldn't have to wait long. Sure enough, Zain saw Sam leave the house just after 8o'clock. He waited until she'd turned the corner before getting out of his car and heading towards the house.

Sam arrived at the station at about 8:30. She was surprised to see Phil's car already parked up in his usual space. Sam entered the station and buzzed herself in. She entered CID and Phil looked up as soon as the doors opened. 'You alright Sam?' he asked as he approached her.

'I could ask you the same thing,' Sam replied.

'Why?'

'Well, you're here before me,' Sam smiled. 'I told him about us Phil,' she added as she opened the office door and went inside.

Phil followed her and closed the door behind them, Neil wasn't in yet so they weren't disturbed. 'I know you told him Sam, he came to see me last night,' Phil said once he'd closed the door.

'What did he say to you?'

'Oh the usual, the fact that I wanted you because I couldn't have you, and he called me a selfish arrogant bastard,'

'Did he say if he was gonna leave me?'

Phil shook his head, 'he didn't say what he was going to do,' he said.

At that moment, Zain opened the doors to CID and then Sam's office. He looked at Sam and then at Phil, 'well, this is cosy isn't it?' Zain remarked.

'Zain, please just-'

'Please just what?' Zain interrupted. 'Let you explain? I doubt even you'd be able to explain this one away Sam.'

'I'm gonna go Sam,' Phil said as he left Sam and Zain on their own.

'Why Sam?' Zain asked once Phil had closed the office door. 'Why did you do it?'

Sam shrugged her shoulders, 'Phil was there for me, the night we had the row. After you said that you'd got no idea why you were marrying me, I was devastated and Phil offered me something that I thought I wasn't getting with you,' she said.

'You still did it though, betrayed me,'

'I'm sorry Zain,'

'Yeah well, it's gonna take a lot more than sorry to sort this out,' Zain said as he opened the office door and slammed it shut behind him as he left.

Later that morning, Zain knocked on Sam and Neil's joint office door once more. He'd calmed down a bit now and he wanted to have a civilised conversation with Sam, to ask her why she did what she did, 'come in!' Neil called.

Zain opened the office door and saw Sam sat behind her desk, 'guv, can you give us a minute please?' Zain asked Neil.

Neil nodded as he left the office and shut the door behind him. 'I'm sorry Zain, about the affair, Phil, everything, please just say that we can work this out,' Sam begged.

Zain shook his head, 'I don't think we can Sam. If it was just the once, then maybe I could forgive and forget but it did it twice, which suggests that there was an intention there. Can you be totally honest and say that you didn't mean for it to happen?'

Sam stayed silent, 'then there's the real answer,' Zain said. 'At least I know where I stand.'

'So that's it then, it's definitely over,' Sam said, she knew the answer to this, she just needed clarification.

Zain nodded, he walked over to Sam and pressed a light kiss against her forehead before leaving the office and shutting the door after him.

Sam looked towards the door and a wave of sadness swept over her. Her marriage to Zain was over but maybe she could salvage something from this. That second time with Phil made her realise something, something that could change their lives forever…

Oooh, what is it that Sam has realised then? There's only one way to find out. Please review :)