Disclaimer: I own monkeys and The Bill… I lie, I just own 1 monkey – I call him my little brother!

Chapter Nine;
Frozen Hearts

Max glanced at his watch again, the chill in his hands making it hard for him to raise it, but eventually he looked at it. It had been a long time, far too long, and Marek was surely long gone now. He was stuck in this freezer, alone, just waiting for the end. It wasn't the happiest place he'd ever been, but slowly he came to the conclusion it was for the best. Jankowski had got his revenge. Hopefully now he'd leave Millie and Oscar alone.

Plus, he gave a hiss of a laugh, Elizabeth would be happy. Now she could set Millie up with one of those men she'd spent the last four years trying to force on her daughter. One of those men that would be a better father than Oscar's real father - the workaholic. The unemotional workaholic who didn't care about his family.

Max didn't blame her. He knew the impression he gave out. He loved his work more than his family. God, Millie had said that to him only nights before. How that had stung. He could deal with anyone else thinking it, but her?

Now he was going to freeze to death in some discarded backyard freezer with no way of ensuring his family would be all right. He'd failed.

He closed his eyes, preparing himself for that warm feeling that came over you just before hypothermia set in. His last hope on his mind that Millie knew what she'd said wasn't true...

*

Sunlight bathed the freezer as the door swung open, the figure in the doorway surrounded by light. Max's eyes squinted in the glare and tried to focus on the figure, hoping Jankowski hadn't returned to finish him off his own way. Max didn't have the energy to fight. Plus he'd just grown rather fond of the idea of freezing to death, having spent the last twenty minutes talking himself into it. But it wasn't Jankowski, he knew that when the figure gave a gasp and flicked off the system, the controls just outside the door. With the whir of the fans gone, he finally heard her voice and sighed, all he could manage. She came inside and he got a better look at her, her eyes wide with worry at the sight of him. She pulled off the scarf around her neck and wrapped it around his hands, crouching in front of him and rubbing them. "It's a good thing I don't take no for an answer." Then she gave him a warm smile and helped him to his feet. Almost instantly he felt better, knowing he hadn't been in the freezer as long as he thought. His right foot had fallen asleep, but his left foot was fine, and he could still feel his legs. He punished himself for giving up so easily and allowed her to lead him out into the warm midday sun where she left him to 'thaw' as she went to fetch the water bottle they kept in the car (the old blue Ford prone to over-heating and needing water more often than it should). As she returned with it, she sat down beside him.

"What happened?"

"Jankowski happened. He outsmarted me and shut me in there." He thumbed back to the freezer.

"I think you should go down to St Hugh's." She suggested, rubbing his hands between hers again. At her touch he instantly felt better and shook his head.

"I'm okay, just foolish." She sighed and looked away. He slid one hand from hers and used it to pull her to him. "What?"

"Nothing, just, when I opened that door and saw you there I thought... you looked..."

"Dead?" Max finished, not sugar-coating the issue.

"Yes, thank you Captain Tact, I was going to say dead." She faux-frowned at him and he gave a small smile. "I know you Max. You're so desperate to get Jankowski that you're going to stuff up again. What if no one's there to help you out then?" He dropped eye contact with her. "Oscar needs you Max. I need you."

He heaved a sigh. "You were right to say what you said." She looked confused so he elaborated. "About work." She made to say something but he held up a hand. "No, let me say it otherwise I'll forget it needs to be said. You were right, I take work too far. You and Oscar are the most important things in my life, you got that?" Millie beamed. "There, now my moment of weakness over..." Millie giggled softly then stood, helping him to his feet. Once back on his feet, he didn't let her go as she'd clearly expected, pulling her to him and winding his arms around her. She hesitated for a second, shocked, then laid her head on his shoulder. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye then turned and pressed his lips to her forehead. Her fingers clasped the back of his shirt as she reveled in the hug, the first he'd given in what had felt like far too long, before the ringing of her phone caused her to stiffen. Drawing the phone from her back pocket, Max answered it as she stepped back, watching him.

"Amelia Brown's phone." He frowned. "Elizabeth? Yes, of course. Yes, I'll put her on." He handed Millie the phone.

"Mum, what's wrong? No, mum, take a breath. I know I said I wouldn't be long but we ran into some problems." She caught Max's eye with a worried frown. "What do you mean you can't find him?" Her breathing got heavier and Max felt her clutch his shirt tighter, pulling the fabric taut across his stomach. Her bottom lip trembled. "You don't... no... we'll be right there." She finished the call, struggling to force the phone back in her pocket. Eventually Max took it from her hand.

"What is it? What's happened?"

"It's Oscar." She looked up at him with wide eyes. "Mum can't find him anywhere."