Disclaimer not mine. L&O UK is currently shown on ITV1

Pubs

Ronnie stared at the Pub door. He knew the safe, sensible thing to do would be to wait for the armed response unit to arrive. He glanced at Angie, knowing she would be thinking the same thing.

"Ron" She bit her top lip "He doesn't know me. I could go in there and buy a drink, make out I am waiting for a bloke. See if he is definitely is in there" Ronnie's eyes widened in shock.

"No way luv. Absolutely no way" He watched as she sighed as he pointed to the pub doorway. "Ange! That is one of the most dangerous pubs on the manor. No, I aint aving it. Already got Matt on a bloody life support machine. No way" He shook his head as Angie nodded.

"Ok, but how else do we establish a positive ID? I don't want to look like a div when the Guv and CO19 turn up" He sighed as he listened to her, slightly annoyed that now it had decided to rain.

"I, for one would rather look a div than end up visiting another mate in ITU or worse still the bloody morgue" He tried to keep his voice low as he saw Natalie walk up to them.

"Right, what have we got?" The DI asked. She wasn't in the mood to mess about. Ronnie glanced at the Pub doorway. His instincts screamed to get both women as far away from the place as he could. He knew that was never going to happen.

Xxxxxxxxx

Alesha stared at the man in the bed, relieved that he still looked like her boyfriend. The twenty minutes it had taken the doctors to wake him up had been the longest of her life. The nurse smiled as she led her back in to the room.

"This is a more natural sleep now. You chat away to him love, get him to listen to you" She smiled. Alesha nodded, she wasn't sure what to say to him.

"Matt, you lazy sod. She watched as his eyes flickered. "Ronnie and James will be here later" She took his hand and laughed as an audible groan escaped his lips. She wasn't sure that he was groaning in pain or at the thought of the ear bashing he would get when the boys arrived.

"Lesh?" He whispered.

"It's ok" She squeezed his hand as he opened his eyes. He blinked before closing his eyes. Alesha smiled as she felt him tighten his grip on her hand. "I'm here; Kate has just gone to get something to eat. She's been here with me all night. Found out a lot about you Matt Devlin" She smiled as he immediately snapped his eyes open.

"Kate? Here? She was in Ibiza" He coughed as he realised how dry his throat was.

"Natalie tracked her down; she had the first flight home. She thinks the world of her big brother" Alesha smiled as she remembered the stories Kate had told her about him. Most of them came down to Matt protecting her from their step father and various kids at school. It seemed that while Matt was a good six years older than Kate he had become a substitute father. Alesha could see where his over protective instincts came from.

"She ok?" He whispered as Alesha nodded.

"Yes, so are Ron and Angie. So stop worrying and concentrate on getting better" She smiled. Matt held her gaze. She knew what he was wanted to ask her but he couldn't find the right words.

"Morris got away, Angie spoke to me earlier. They think they have an address for him. It'll all be over soon. We'll have him where he belongs, back behind bars" She watched as the nurse arrived to check his blood pressure. Alesha smiled politely, she didn't recognise the woman, assuming Clare had gone off duty.

"Lesh" Matt tightened his grip on her hand.

"Yeah?"

"Be careful. He's still out there. Be careful" She nodded as she stared at the cotton sheet.

"I will be" She sighed. "Just concentrate on getting better"

"I meant what I said Lesh" He raised his eyebrows at her as she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I know. I will be careful" She sighed.

"Not that, what I said before. I love you" He closed his eyes as Alesha kissed his forehead.

"I know" She watched as the doctor arrived to check Matt's wound. She knew now would be a good time to get some rest and call James. She glanced back at him as she reached the door, suddenly aware of how close she had come to loosing him. She couldn't stop the tears that had been threatening to fall.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The raid on the pub had been total chaos. Along with Karl Donovan and Jimmy Morris the team had arrest three teenagers for underage drinking along with the bar man. Ronnie leant against the door of the interview room as a skinny blonde woman with large hoop ear rings stormed towards him.

"Oi! You got my Shanice in there" She poked Ronnie in the chest. This he could do without.

"Yeah, well that's what happens when you're found buying booze at 14 years old" He glared at the woman.

"We all dun it. You should be looking for the proper criminals" She looked him up and down as Ronnie glared.

"We were luv, that's 'ow we found your precious daughter. In a pub with a wanted criminal. Maybe you should ask your child what she was doing in a pub at er age. Cause I know the social workers will be" He watched as the woman turned various shades of red before storming off to collect the errant Shanice. Natalie had observed the exchange from the other end of the corridor.

"Some people don't know how lucky they are" She shook her head as Ronnie looked up. "How long was that kid in the pub?"

"Landlord says she arrived with that older boy Steven and his sister Lou at 9 pm, they been there all night" He shook his head "We march in there at what? 2 am to find kids in the pub. Parents probably too drunk or too stoned to care. Anyway I'm a fine one to talk" He shook his head as Natalie sighed.

"You never put your girls in danger" She folded her arms.

"Didn't I?"

"Ron, have we charged him?" He knew she was referring to Morris.

"Yeah. One account of possessing a firearm, attempted murder and murder. Also got Donovan on attempting to pervert the course of justice and aiding and abetting a known criminal" He sighed "Up to James and Alesha to put them both away now. Angie is just sorting out the paper work"

"Good" Natalie yawned. "Right, I'm going up the hospital this morning. You coming to see our Matt?"

"Yeah, be nice to give him the good news now" Ronnie smiled.

"It will, he'll have to testify though. He's going to have to be strong enough to do that. There aint that many officers, thank God that are shot on duty but there are even fewer that have lived. We are going to have to look after that boy" Natalie watched as Ronnie nodded.

"Yeah"

"I get the feeling he hasn't had many people look out for him over the years, but he's going to have to give in on this one" Natalie tapped Ronnie's arm "Come on then" She walked out of the station, glad the rain had stopped long enough to let them get to the car.

authors note. Thank you for the lovely let me know what you think.