Partnerships were like relationships. They had good times and they had bad times. Unfortunately, for the past couple of weeks Steve and Kate had been stuck in rather a bad patch. Karma, Kate reckoned for having so many good times in the proceeding years.
She couldn't remember what had started it off, but there didn't seem to be any truce in sight and it was getting worse. The slightest thing and they were sniping at each other. Yesterday it had been over Steve using the last of the milk in the AC-12 fridge without replacing it, meaning Kate had to walk to the nearest shop to get some more before she could have her regular afternoon cup of tea.
Kate could tell that Ted Hastings was almost at the end of his tether with the pair of them, getting them to be civil to each other. He had even asked her outright if she wanted to be Steve's partner anymore; but despite all the arguments, their friendship was something she wasn't quite ready to give up.
She had just gone through a separation with Mark and the stress and heartache that had caused was quite enough for now. She had faith that her and Steve would be friends again and that this bump in the road wasn't terminal.
Kate was beginning to think that being the same rank was part of the problem. Steve had always been her superior until recently when Kate's promotion made them both sergeants. He had told her he was happy for her at the time, but she was sure that wasn't true now.
Whilst she viewed them as of equal rank, Steve seemed to think he was still Kate's superior, much to her annoyance. The fact that he had been sergeant for longer placed him above her in his head at least. Both were now embroiled in a game of one upmanship trying their best to get Ted to notice them for the chance of being put forward for promotion to Inspector.
Today was another case in point. They were to finally arrest a suspect in their latest case only the intel they had collected suggested the suspect could be in one of two places. Steve favoured raiding one location first whilst Kate thought the other offered a greater chance of successful arrest.
"I'm sorry, Kate but I think Steve's right on this one," Ted had informed the group of officers who would accompany them.
Kate tried to ignore the smug look that appeared on Steve's face when the Gaffer had sided with him. "Fine. Whatever," she had muttered, trying her best to hide her disappointment. More and more she felt that to progress in the police you had to be of the male sex as they had each other's backs. She was destined to forever fight against the inherent sexism that there was in the force.
"Ok. Good luck everyone," Ted had said before departing the room. He was staying behind to help co-ordinate the arrest from their headquarters. The group of ten police officers took Ted's lead and made their way to the five cars that were being used in the raid. They would travel in convoy to the two locations.
Being partners, Steve expected Kate to ride with him as she had always done in the past, so he was a little surprised to see her head off towards another patrol car. "Where are you going?" He asked her.
"I'm going to ride with PC Forbes," Kate informed him. "I think I much prefer his company to yours at the moment,".
"Kate, you're being really childish," Steve retorted.
"Then you should be glad I'm not travelling with you," she answered back as she reached the last car in the convoy and opened the front passenger door.
"Suit yourself!" Steve spat as he took his place at the wheel of the lead car, slamming the door closed. He couldn't understand what Kate's problem was. It wasn't his fault the gaffer had sided with him. He had put forward a good argument for raiding his choice of location first.
"Prick!" Muttered Kate as she took her place beside a very uncomfortable looking PC Forbes. He didn't want to get involved in the argument between the two sergeants at all. He liked them both usually, when they weren't fighting, and he didn't want to appear to be taking sides.
The radio on her stab vest squawked to life as Steve issued his last set of instructions before they departed. Somehow he had assumed the lead role as per usual. "Copy!" She answered into the radio, harshly, as every car also did the same.
"What has DS Arnott done this time?" PC Forbes asked as he started the car engine. Like Ted, the rest of AC-12 were getting a little fed up with the daily bickering and hoped they'd sort it out soon.
"Just Steve being Steve," was the only answer he got.
Kate was resting against a police car at the first raid location, arms folded defensively, looking bored. She was waiting for confirmation from the officers that were searching the place, that the suspect wasn't there. She had decided not to participate in the pointless expedition- it had been fairly obvious as soon as they had pulled in, that the place was deserted.
"There's no one here," Steve admitted to everyone as he returned with the other officers.
"Told you so," Kate griped. Steve ignored her.
"Let's move to the next site," he instructed the team and they all dispersed to their respective vehicles. "You going with PC Forbes again?" He asked Kate.
"Of course," she replied as she pushed herself off the car and headed back to the car she had been in.
Steve rolled his eyes behind her back at her attitude before getting in his car. She was really pissing him off today. Maybe she was premenstrual?
They set off with their blue lights flashing for the second location. Approaching a cross roads, Steve put his advanced driving skills to use making sure he navigated the junction safely without endangering the life of any of the civilians using the junction. The other cars in the convoy followed suit, with Kate and PC Forbes bringing up the rear. He hadn't been driving as long as Steve so he was a little nervous, but had almost cleared the junction when a pedestrian wearing headphones stepped out into the road.
"Look out!" Kate yelled, but it was too late. PC Forbes swerved to avoid hitting the person. In doing so however he ran the car off the road into a field where it flipped over several times and came to rest on its side.