Disclaimer I do not own Hustle.

Looking for Answers.

"I do not believe this." Ash stared at his mug as the others looked on in silence. "What the bleedin 'ell are we doing? Sat 'ere waiting for Stacie or my sodding ex mrs to call the shots?"

Mickey sighed heavily as he watched his friend. He knew Ash had missed Stacie but he also knew they had parted on less than good terms. Emma and Sean glanced at each other while Albert got to his feet.

"Well, I don't know about you." Albert started "But I think it is about time we looked into what, exactly Rachel was doing at the hotel last night. She clearly knew we were likely to be there and I would not be surprised if she blew Emma's cover with the mark."

"Would she?" Emma was immediately on edge. Ash held her gaze for a second before nodding.

"Knowing the second and last Mrs Morgan, yeah. Rachel would. If she thought it would give her an in with Dean she'd sell 'er own mother down the river. In fact once she did."

"Ash?" Sean raised his eyebrows as Mickey shook his head.

"You know I used to run the short con. Before we all got together. I was on me own with Rachel. This was after June and me got divorced."

"You were married twice?" Sean was lost.

"Keep up." Ash growled. "Yeah, June God love her was as good as gold. Ended up in hospital for the last few years of her life. A con went wrong. She got hurt." Ash looked at his feet, even after all these years he blamed himself. "Brain damage."

"Oh Ash." Emma blinked as she glanced at the fixer. Ash shrugged his shoulders. He blamed himself for June getting hurt and had no desire to relive the memory of that awful day years before Emma and Sean had known him. Mickey sat on the sofa opposite him. He was at a loss, if Rachel was there then there was a chance she knew June had died the year before. He also knew there was a chance she wanted to hurt Ash, that the only reason she had chosen the same mark as Albert was to get at them. He frowned slightly as Ash fell silent. The tension in the apartment could be cut with a knife as Sean shoved his hands in his pockets and waited.

"So?" Sean looked from one man to the other. "What's the plan?"

"Albert." Mickey decided. "You meet Stacie at the airport."

"Ok."

"Take Emma with you."

"What?" Emma met Mickey's eye.

"Stacie is ok. Albert has known her for years. We all have. If she is up to something then we'd most likely miss it. You have never met her. You may be the only objective pair of eyes we have." Mickey reasoned as his eyes softened. He knew Emma hated to think she was being pushed to the sidelines. All the men had been slightly more protective of her since the debacle with the Russian billionare. It drove her crazy.

"Ok." She smiled slightly. "Albert?"

Albert nodded before ushering Emma towards the door. Sean pulled a face as he waited for Mickey to give him his instructions.

"I never met 'er either." Sean started as Mickey and Ash smirked.

"Nah." Ash smiled for the first time since they had got back to the apartment. "But I think Emma will be more objective."

"How? How can you possibly say that?" Sean glared at him, clearly offended.

"Because Sean." Ash smirked as Mickey shook his head. "You haven't met Stacie Monroe. We have."

"What about you?" Emma asked as she pulled on her coat.

"Me." Mickey looked up at her and smiled slightly. "I'm going to the hotel. See what happens there. Ash?"

"Got to see a man about a dog." Ash got to his feet, grabbed his keys and left.

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The winter sunshine was deceptive as Ash waited behind the old warehouse a few streets away from Eddie's bar. He was freezing but was determined to wait for his contact to turn up. Pulling his collar closer to him he began to wonder if she was ever going to turn up.

"Ash." He smiled as he turned to face the brunette behind him.

"Nikki."

"DCI Nikki Paige to you. How have you been Ash? Keeping out of trouble?" She smiled at her old friend as Ash shrugged his shoulders.

"You know 'ow it is. In our line of work, one of the downsides is we tend to end up working with criminals."

"And I shouldn't arrest you because?"

"Me and my mates sort out the scum you can't touch, either because what they do is only immoral rather than illegal in many cases. You said it yourself Nik. We're really on the same side, it's just I make better money and some of your colleagues can't see the distinction between a grifter and a common thief." Nikki smiled as she folded her arms across her leather jacket.

"Ash."

"Rachel is back. Hanging out with some numpty called Dean. Is 'e on your radar?"

"You know I can't tell you that."

"Nikki, this guy is scum. And I mean scum. You'd never get anyone to testify against him. He's got too many people afraid of him."

"Not you though." She smiled. "Look we know who he is. He's been in London for a while and let's just say he has made himself known to us."

"Human trafficking, fraud, drugs. You name it he's involved in it." Ash glared. "We wanted to make sure 'e didn't hurt anyone else. A friend got hurt."

"I know. You are being watched Ash." Nikki stared at the floor. "We know. I mean we know he is involved in all these things and worse but we can't touch him. Knowing and having the evidence to get it to court are two different things." She narrowed her eyes. "And believe me, there is nothing I want more than to put that piece of scum behind bars for ther rest of his life."

"Thats where we're different. I have no intention of putting him behind bars."

"Careful Ash." Nikki frowned. "He's killed for less than what you are doing."

"You got something you want to say?"

"Stacie Monroe." Nikki stared at him. "Remember her?"

"I might."

"She's been picked up on FBI surveillance photos. They got her name from our databases. Seems her ex husband sold her out. Jake is working with Dean in the States. Seems Stacie and Danny are going to need you. He's a nasty piece of work but I need evidence."

"You said Rachel was involved in this." Ash narrowed his eyes.

"Again. Hear say, no evidence."

"Nikki, I knew you when you were in nappies. You know as well as I do there was a chance you could 'av ended up a grifter. Don't hold back on me."

"Ok." Nikki closed her eyes for a moment. "I think I have a corrupt copper in my department. We've been chasing Dean for years. I have enough circumstantial to put him away but I can't get him. He's one step ahead. Then your Rachel appears on the scene. Apparently she's his girlfriend."

"No." Ash shook his head.

"But she's also very close to one of my officers. I'm certain thats the link but I have to get the proof."

"Bloody Hell." Ash closed his eyes.

"You make yourselves known and I'll have to arrest you, Mickey and the others." She held his gaze. "We're different sides of the same coin but I'm a DCI. I can't be seen to be condoning what you do. Like it or not you are a criminal."

"A technicality." Ash smirked. "Nah, don't worry Nik. I'm on the level with this. I don't want nothing to do with Rachel and it would give me great pleasure to see you put that arsewipe behind bars. But I aint no snitch."

"I know." Nikki smiled "I respect that. Just so long as you know this meeting never happened. I wasn't here and you were not given the heads up. If you can put this man out of business then I will be more than happy. But be careful."

"Careful is my middle name." He kissed her cheek as she rolled her eyes. "Tell your dad I owe him a pint." Nikki was about to answer but Ash rolled his eyes and walked out into the night.

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"There's another thirty minutes before the plane arrives." Emma handed Albert a coffee as he nodded.

"I know."

"Stacie. What's she like?"

"The only person I ever met that was almost as good at what we do as Mickey. She's a natural. But has a very bad taste in men." Albert shook his head.

"Her and Mickey?"

"Emma." Albert sighed as she waved a hand.

"Oh no. I was just."

"You should be asking about her and Ash. Mickey left for a while. Went to Australia to sell the Opera House." Albert shook his head and laughed. "Not his best idea."

"How?"

"Broke up the crew, for a while." Albert sighed. "Stacie and Ash were close when he was away. She looked after him when we found out June died. Her leaving, it broke his heart. Why do you think Mickey was so reluctant to start anything with you?"

"Oh." Emma stared at her cup. "It just seems to me we are wasting time."

"Something happened to Stacie and Danny. Helping her may help us with this job. You know what that man did to Eddie's niece. That's what started all this."

"I know." She sighed. "And this is a long con."

"It is." Albert tapped her hand. "The plane has just arrived." Emma took a deep breath, ready to meet the woman the rest of the team seemed to be so in awe of.

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A/N more soon. Please review.