**For authors notes, disclaimer etc see chapter 1**

Seven Days and Counting 13

"He can't be serious!" Jack snapped staring at Strickland as Gerry entered the room and for a second all of their attention focused on him.

"She's ok apart from the bruising we saw she had no other injuries and she was a bit dehydrated so they've given her fluids but I can pick her up as soon as the doctor discharges her and take her home this afternoon." He said quietly as they all stared at him. "So what's been happening what's Christie said?"

"He's said nothing, absolutely nothing." Brian sighed shaking his head as Strickland took over.

"He has said one thing he's said he's not talking, not answering any questions we have the only person he'll talk to is Sandra."

"Like hell" Gerry replied loudly not quite believing what he was hearing, the bastard had kidnapped her, trashed her home, held her captive for almost a week and basically terrorised her and he thought they'd let her walk back into a room with him?

"That's what I was saying just before you arrived." Jack agreed. "We don't need him to talk we have enough evidence to charge him and if he thinks he can make demands just to get to spend more time with her then he's crazier than I thought he was."

"Yeah on that we're all agreed." Brian added opening his mouth to speak again as the office door opened and they all turned to see Sandra walk through it.

"What are you doing here Sandra? When I brought you your clothes you promised me you'd ring me to pick you up as soon as the doctor discharged you so I could take you home this is the last place you need to be right now." Gerry sighed kicking himself for listening to her when she'd told him he didn't need to sit around waiting for her to be discharged.

"Sandra are you ok?" Brian asked pulling her into an awkward hug as Jack waited, smiling as she walked into the room.

"Good to see you back Sandra." He said hugging her and gently kissing the top of her head as he felt her relax a little.

"I'm glad you're ok Sandra but Gerry's right you should be at home resting not here." Strickland added.

"Thank you sir but I've been away from here long enough. Who interviewed Christie and what has he said?" Glancing around the four men in front of her Sandra sighed she knew they were trying to protect her but this wasn't the way to do it. She needed to get back in control of this situation where he was concerned and this was the only way she knew how to do it. "Look I know you all think you're helping but you're not I need to close this down in my head and I can't do that if you're all going to treat me like I'm suddenly made of glass. Now what has he said?"

"Nothing" Strickland sighed as the other three men glared at him. "He's refusing to talk but we don't need him to."

"I know we don't need him to talk but why isn't he? He knows we have enough to charge him so he's not doing himself any favours so why not just talk?"

"He says he'll only talk you." Jack replied refusing to look at Gerry and Brian knowing they'd be furious but he knew more than most how important it was in these situations to know everything if you were going to move on. "But he's been told it's not happening."

"Why? I'll talk to him but first you're all going to….."

"No way Sandra you're not going anywhere near that bastard again." Gerry snapped.

"He's trying to continue to have some sort of control over you guvnor don't let him do that." Brian added as Jack stood in front of her his hands resting on her arms as he spoke.

"Don't let him keep calling the shots Sandra, he thinks he still has the power right now but we know he doesn't so just….."

"Look," Sandra interrupted stepping away from him and staring at each of them in turn. "I know I've been away for a few days but did I miss a memo that said I wasn't the guvnor in this office anymore? I know all that you've said is true but I want to do this I want to show him that he hasn't intimidated me out of doing my job. Now I want to know everything before I go in there no matter how upsetting you think it might be for me then I'm going in there and I'm going to finish this."

"Are you sure that's what you want Sandra? You don't have anything to prove you're the victim in this case." Strickland sighed already knowing the answer just as surely as the others did no matter what they said she was going to do it anyway.

"Yes I'm sure now are you going to fill me in or do I have to gather the files up and go into my office and work it out for myself?"

"Fine but at least sit down the doctor made me promise I'd not let you over do it too much for a few days." Gerry replied as Strickland excused himself clearly not wanting to be part of the discussion to come.

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I know they want to just make it all go away for me but that's not how I can get through this. I learnt a long time ago how much secrets can hurt because they will always come out in the end. I want to know it all then I can walk in there and face him and put this to an end knowing there's not a single thing he can throw at me that I don't know nor anything he can say that will shock me however bad it is.

"Look I know you three want to protect me from whatever he's said or done in the last week but I need to know so if you care about me then be there if I need help along the way but tell me anyway." I think I've finally got through to them and while Gerry sits beside me squeezing my hand tightly Jack and Brian start going through the evidence. The videos, the parcels with my clothes and handbag in them, the state he left my home in and what he did while he was there.

"None of that is there anymore sweetheart, Esther worked really had to get everything back to normal for you. She's been a real star keeping us fed and making sure your place is ok and even helping spot things we'd missed on occasions." I don't doubt that for a single second. Esther is constantly like the 5th member of the team and she'd have wanted to be part of finding me as much as the boys would.

They've moved on to the actual pieces of the jigsaw that they put together to find me from the phone call to the surveillance and Esther noticing my car keys were missing. Finally I feel almost ready for this but there's one more important thing to do first and none of them want to say it.

"Ok well it's time we went to one of the P.A.C.E interview rooms and you took my statement, what little I can remember between being knocked out. You have to ask everything that has to be asked and I promise to answer honestly then once we've done that I'm going in there to nail him then you are all going to take me for a very large drink."