Chapter 3 – Point Blank

Erica shot down the hall. Instinct taking over but she could hear Stephens heavy footsteps behind her. Slowing her steps she came to a man lying at an open apartment door; she didn't have to look twice to know who it was. Aiden; an ex boyfriend from a year ago. They had been on a few dates and gotten pretty close but that was all.

"Stay here, Ah'll check the building." Stephen ran off, his gun clutched between his hands. Erica didn't have to be told twice. Quickly she checked the apartment for anyone but no one was around. Rushing over to Aiden she dropped her gun, frantically her hands tried to find a pulse but there was nothing. Standing up she looked around but felt helpless as she couldn't do anything until backup came. She heard a few doors open, everything increasingly becoming a blur. Her usual calm and collected self was slipping away.

She spun around and stared at the few faces peering out of their apartment doors. She glanced down at her gun then at Aiden's lifeless body. Her badge was in Stephens apartment. "I'm from the New York crime lab. Please go back into your apartments." As if on cue Stephen appeared around the corner, instantly flashing his badge and repeating what she had just said.

"Yeh alright, lass?" Stephen pulled her towards him; she looked as if she had seen a ghost.

"Aiden James." She nodded towards the man on the ground. "An ex boyfriend. He was already dead, I couldn't save him."

"Ah've called for backup. Go back to me apartment." Stephen pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed the top of her head.

"No I'll stay and help with the clean up."

"Erica, don't argue with me. Ah'll come see yeh when everyone else gets here." Stephen picked up her gun from the floor and handed it back to her. With a slight push she reluctantly headed back to Stephens apartment. Time seemed to slow down. She ended up sat on the couch with her knees clutched to her chest. Eyes trained on the door waiting for Stephen to return. Desperately she wanted to call Bailey and hear her reassuring voice on the other end, but she knew that wouldn't happen. Bailey was on an early start in the morning unlike Erica which meant she would be sleeping. Letting her eyes slip shut she figured a bit of rest might do her some good.

Stephen stayed at the scene, waiting for John to arrive. He ended up trying to get everyone to stay in their apartments, but curiosity got the better of some people. Finally John arrived after some officers came to cordon off the scene.

"Stephen." Johns booming voice immediately caught Stephen's attention. "Where's Erica?"

"Ah sent her back to my apartment."

"Why?"

Stephen glanced down at Aiden's lifeless body. "He's an ex." John nodded mulling things over in his head.

"You know that means she can't work on this case."

"Yeah, ah I understand."

"Great. Tell Erica for me, and Stephen?" Stephen raised his eyebrows, willing John to continue. "Just be there for her, alright?"

"Yeh don't have to tell me twice, fella." Stephen stayed around a few minutes longer, John explained they would both have to give a statement as to what happened. In all honesty, he just wanted to get back to Erica to make sure she was okay.

He almost ran down the hallway then slowly pushed the door to his apartment open. He scanned the room and his eyes settled on the couch. Her perfect sleeping frame was curled up, her arms wrapped around a cushion. Quietly he shut the door behind him. He really didn't want to wake her up, but he knew he needed to get her back to her apartment and away from what was happening down the hallway. Crouching down beside her his big hand cradled her face, his thumb gently stroking across her cheek. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, smiling once she saw Stephen staring back at her.

"Hey." She mumbled then pulled his hand away from her face. She didn't let go as she sat upright. He took both of her hands into his, squeezing reassuringly.

"Ah'm taking yeh back to your place."

"Can't I just stay here?" She pouted and Stephen was about ready to give in but he shook his head.

"Sorry lass, John's orders." She let out a breathy sigh through her parted lips.

"Sorry dinner was ruined." Erica smiled and nodded to the chinese food on the table still. Stephen shook his head at her. He knew she was trying to cover up what she was really feeling and he didn't want that.

"It's okay to be upset yeh know." Erica nodded and smiled. Instead of answering she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.

"I know. Thank you, Ste." Stephen wrapped his arms around her petite frame as she clung onto him. "Will you stay with me tonight?"

"Of course ah will, lass." Stephen let her hold onto him. He would be there for her, as long as she needed him.

At Erica's apartment, Stephen could tell she was still unsettled. Though he had tried to take her mind off everything on the ride over, it didn't seem to have any effect. Passing the scene as they left was hard. John had ushered her along, making sure she wouldn't stop to try and help out. John knew her too well; when there was a job to be done she would be there.

"Yeh have a pillow and blanket or something?" Stephen asked, nodding towards the couch. It wasn't that small but he was a big guy. It wouldn't be the most comfy of nights, but if Erica wanted him there he wouldn't think twice about leaving.

"Yeah." She smiled and gestured for him to follow her. He followed her to her bedroom where she closed the door behind him. "You really think I'd let you sleep on the couch?"

"Ah don't mind."

"Well I do, and it's my place so you're staying with me, I don't bite." Erica forced a smile. Stephen knew she was tired, having being at work all day then the event of the evening. Things were starting to take their toll. "I'm going to get a shower, you make yourself comfy."

Climbing into the bed after stripping off his shirt and pants, Stephen tried to make himself comfortable. He heard the water cut off after about five minutes and waited. His mind was fighting to just stop his irrational thoughts. She didn't want him and he was just a friend to her. But the truth was hard to swallow. He had thought about bringing it up, talking to her. Then he thought about kissing her soft pouty lips and testing her reaction. But at the back of his mind their friendship would be at stake. Add in the fact they were also work colleagues; that made everything just a little bit more complicated.

He watched the door open and swallowed hard as she walked into the room, Stephen tried to look anywhere but at her. She had tied her hair up into a messy bun, a few strands stuck to the back of her neck. A big fluffy white towel was wrapped around her, her hands clutching it tight to her chest. "I forgot to take some clothes with me."

"That's alright, lass." Smiling he couldn't take his eyes off her, but she seemed oblivious to his gaze. She left the room again, carrying a bundle of clothes. Stephen let out a sigh he didn't know he was holding. He pulled the duvet up he shuffled under the bed then turned the lamp off. The room still had a faint orange glow to it from the other lamp. He turned onto his side, hoping he would fall asleep and he wouldn't have to see Erica again. But he heard the door open, then felt the duvet move. He prayed she would curl up and sleep, but he sensed that wouldn't be the case.

"Ste?" He felt her hands press against his bare back and her breath fan across his skin.

"Yeah?" She tugged on his arm, making him roll onto his back. Erica didn't say anything else; instead she picked up his arm and buried herself into his side. Holding her close to him, he moved across the bed. His thumb rubbed small circles across her back, trying to offer her some form of comfort. He kissed her forehead gently and felt her sigh into his chest. He let his eyes slip shut, but he didn't know if he would ever end up falling asleep.

"Stephen." Sharply opening his eyes, he stared into crystal blue orbs. Erica was crouched beside him. "We have to go to work soon." He squeezed his eyes shut again and ran both hands across his face.

"What time is it?" His voice was rough and his body ached.

"Seven thirty." Erica smiled as Stephen groaned. She figured he wasn't a morning person. "I made you some coffee." Placing the mug on the bedside table, Erica stood up. She was dressed and ready to go. She needed something to get her mind of what happened the night before. If she wasn't allowed to work on that case she would buckle down and try and find a lead on the main case.

"Thanks."

"Well, I'll leave you to get ready. I've left some towels in the bathroom if you want a shower." With a strong smile and a nod of the head, Erica left the room. They weren't scheduled to be in work until 10am, but an early start never hurt anyone.

Stephen and Erica arrived at the lab just after eight. They both had plenty to work on but Erica needed to talk to bailey. Sat inside Stephens office on his comfy leather chair, she dialled her friends number and waited for her to pick up. They were always there for each other, no matter what.

The gym was quiet when Bailey entered it. She favoured this particular establishment because it was off-the-grid, was within walking distance of her apartment and very few people knew about it. Although, one person too many knew about it, she found as she glanced across to the weightlifting section and saw Stu gritting his teeth as he forced the thick, heavy bar of the bench press above his head. Beads of sweat had formed along his forehead and she could see the tension appearing on his face, during his struggle with the load on the bar.

Her eyes found the exit again and then drifted back to Stu and she worried her lower lip as she considered leaving before he saw her. The clunk of the bar meeting it's resting place resonated through the gym and Stu sat up, wiping his brow off with the towel that he picked up from the floor. He glanced around the gym, only one other patron aside from himself and then his eyes found Bailey. She gripped the straps of her bag tighter and moved it up her shoulder, nervously darting her eyes back and forth. Stu's lips turned up at the corners, his gaze roving across Bailey, clothed in her gym attire; consisting of a pair of black jogging pants, a light pink sports bra and a black unzipped hoodie over the top. Her jaw clenched but she was adamant she wasn't leaving.

Letting the bag slide from her shoulder, she dropped it at her feet and pulled her iPod out, strapping it to her arm with the little Velcro pocket she'd bought after slipping off her hoodie. Bailey dropped the soft fleecy material at her feet, making a beeline for the treadmills on the other side of the gym, having to pass Stu on the way.

"Bailey," he acknowledged her as she came closer to him, on a mission to reach the cardio equipment "How are you this fine morning?"

"Drop dead Bennett," Bailey hissed, knowing he was making fun of her. She narrowed her eyes at him on the way by and stepped up to her treadmill, throwing him another glare across her shoulder. She hopped on, cranking up the speed almost immediately so she was at a slow jog. Sticking in her ear-buds, the familiar beats of 'Paradise City' by Guns-and-Roses filled her ears. She smiled, thankful that the headphones would cancel out any unwanted noise, namely interruptions from Detective Stu Bennett.

Half an hour of jogging, slowly increasing the speed as she went, had Bailey's heart firmly racing. She thrived on the adrenaline that flowed through her veins, the feeling of achievement that she got when she met a goal she set for herself on the treadmill. Stepping down off of the running machine, she wiped the back of her arm across her forehead, ridding herself of the moisture that had accumulated there during her run, and made her way to the combat section. As she strapped on the red leather boxing gloves, her eyes darted around the gym, falling on Stu's long, lean legs. He had taken her place on one of the treadmills and was currently running at a consistently fast speed, the muscles of his back moving with every step forward his legs took. He bunched his arm up by his sides, pacing himself through his run. Bailey quirked a smile at him, it was unusual to see the brute running. He always took his time. At everything.

A hot shower was next on Bailey's agenda, and she stood under the hot spray, washing away all the grime and dirt that had formed on her skin from her workout. Her arms and legs ached deliciously but she smiled, knowing she'd pushed herself and the results were always worth it. Toweling herself off, she slipped into her uniform for the day; a pair of slim fit charcoal-heather coloured pants with a slightly bootcut leg, opening enough to look smart wth her black patent 3 inch high heels and teal silk blouse, the hem tucked beneath the waistband of the trousers with the sleeves folded up to her elbows. Holstering her gun on her right hip, over her trousers, Bailey blow dried her hair and pulled it back into a loose ponytail, allowing a few wispy bits to escape and curl around her cheeks. With a quick applicated of foundation, a slick of mascara and eyeliner and a swipe of clear gloss on her lips, she was ready to go.

She stepped back into the gym, noticing immediately that it was totally deserted. Her senses were now on high alert, carefully listening for anything out of the ordinary.

"You scrub up well, sweetheart," Bailey ground her teeth together at the sound of that voice. She turned around, continuing to walk slowly backwards, smiling sweetly at Stu. He'd also showered and now wore a pair of charcoal dress pants and a light grey shirt. His suit jacket was slung across his shoulder. She noticed he also had his gun holstered but it was out of her sight, kept snug against his back.

"You don't look too bad yourself," stopping where she was, she looked over him, noticing the stark contrast between his loose curls and the now slicked back image he took on when he was at work.

"Holy hell, you actually said something without biting my head off," his eyes widened comically.

"I'm always nice to you, Stuart," his brow furrowed at the use of his full name "I..." Bailey was cut off by the sound of her cell ringing. She fished it out of her bag, holding it up to see it was Erica who was phoning. Taking the call, she brought it to her ear "Hi Erica, what's up? Whoa, calm down honey. Yeah, uh-huh, really? Alright, we'll be there soon. Just stay calm."

"What's wrong?" Stu asked, concern etched on his face. He stepped closer to Bailey, placing one large palm on her shoulder "Is Erica alright?"

"Yeah...ummmm...I mean, I don't know. There's been a murder in Stephen's apartment building. I...I don't..."

"It's alright. C'mon, I'll drive."

Bailey stormed into the shooting range inside of the lab, slamming the door behind her. Her head was pounding, Erica's voice running through her head. Stu had driven Bailey directly to the lab, where she found her friend and partner unusually calm but traumatized. There had been a shooting in the apartment building and Erica had found the victim, only to her horror, she found the victim was an ex-boyfriend Aiden James.

Bailey vaguely remembered Erica mentioning an Aiden around a year ago but she never knew all that much about him. Erica liked to keep her private life outwith the lab and outwith wandering eyes. Which was understandable. Too many couples had floundered from the pressures of both being police officers. It paid to keep things out of the line of fire.

She was struggling to help her friend. John had been to the scene and instantly removed Erica from the whole case, leaving Bailey working on her own. Of course, until Stu had offered up his services. And now Bailey was being forced to work hand-in-hand with the English brute, which was really the last thing she needed.

Grabbing the ear-mufflers, she pulled them on and picked up the small handgun that was placed on the table in front of her. Hitting the red button, the paper outline of a human figure whooshed back, fluttering in the small breeze the movement caused and halted around 15 feet away from her. Staring through the open glassless window, Bailey aimed her gun at the target spots on the paper, firing off round after round, piercing tiny holes through each spot she aimed for. She let out a breath, reloading the gun and hitting the button to bring the paper back. She unclipped the torn sheet and threw it behind her, picking up a clean sheet to hook back on. A familiar scent wafted in through her nostrils and they flared at such an intrusion.

"You following me?" Bailey quipped, not looking over her shoulder. She finished hooking the paper to the clips and pressed the button, sending it flying back to around 25 feet this time.

"You can't hide in here, sweetheart," Stu's drawl was a little quieter through the ear-protecters but this time she did look at him. Stu leaned back against the frame of the door, his large arms now covered by the thick suit jacket he'd had thrown across them at the gym earlier that morning, his green eyes twinkling mischievously in the dim light.

"This is therapeutic," she spun back around to face the shooting range again. Curving one palm around the butt of the gun, she steadied her grip by wrapping her free hand around the one that was on the gun. Closing one eye, she eyed her target and fired off three rounds, blowing holes directly through the shoulder, arm and just below the chest of the outline.

"You need to keep your back straight," Bailey's jaw slackened as she felt Stu directly behind her, his wide chest pressing into her shoulders. His thick arms surrounded her, covering her hands and forcing her to take her stance again "Lower your shoulders," he dipped his head, blowing air; so hot it penetrated through Bailey's thin silk blouse, across her shoulder and down her neck. He pressed his cheek against the pulled back strands of her hair "Take a deep breath," he released Bailey's hands and they quivered slightly before she regained her momentum and remembered to squeeze tightly around the gun. Stu's palms drifted up across the silk covering her shoulders and down the expanse of her back, stroking across the shiny material until he reached her hips "Breathe out," the breath slowly slipped from between Bailey's parted lips "And squeeze the trigger," a shot was fired from the gun, sending a bullet through the spot between the figure's eyes.

Her shoulders fell, allowing the tension to leave her body but Stu never moved.

"Ummm...thanks," he moved to her side and Bailey turned to face him, raising an eyebrow as she tipped her head back to see his face.

"With a little guidance, you'll be blowing people's brains out before you know it," Stu's thin lips lifted into an arrogant smirk.

"Ahhhh!" Bailey grinned "And you think you're the one to teach me?" she asked, stepping closer and pushing herself onto her tip-toes in an effort to get closer to him.

"Well," he drawled "I am a crack-shot. Those little tips I just gave you, landed you a perfect shot."

"Oh, you mean like this?" Bailey turned the gun on it's side, pulling the trigger and firing a bullet into the paper outline.

"You missed," he stared down into her eyes, holding her gaze within his own.

"Look closer," she murmured, licking her lips softly. Stu turned his head to stare at the floating bit of paper, his eyes finding the bullet hole. It had pierced the paper directly between the legs of the outline, exactly where the figure's crotch would be "I never miss."

A/N – Thank you wades wife, DeansTrueGirl, moxxie23 and ThatGirl54 for the lovely reviews :). Karen and Lou x