"Aaaand just here" Gino Cantorelli said, pointing to the last space on the contract, watching as Zoe signed her name with a flourish. "That's it. Welcome to the practice Dr. Schultz." He grinned, watching as Zoe smiled.
It hadn't taken long for them to arrange the move back from the city, what with Nick already working back in Mount Thomas on a temporary transfer. It was fortunate for Zoe that Gino Cantorelli had been looking for someone to work part time with him in the local practice, he'd been wanting to slow down for years, and had come to Mount Thomas two years before thinking it would be a quiet little place where he could slowly wind down and prepare for retirement.
His rueful shake of his head caught Zoe's interest. "What?"
"Hmm? Oh, I was just thinking. I hope you know what you're letting yourself in for. This place isn't as quiet as it seems. Looking at it, you'd think this place was peaceful, but you'd be surprised what goes on. I've had to do all sorts of things over the past two years – and I should stop right now before you run screaming for the hills" Gino said, sliding the contract over towards him and holding it rather tightly. Zoe surprised him with a burst of laughter, and Gino stared back at her, confusion stamped across his features.
"Gino, you have nothing to worry about. I used to live here, about six years ago. I know exactly how this place works, believe you me," she said with a grin.
Gino looked at her, her name suddenly causing a flash of recognition. "Hang on, Schultz? Any relation to our new policeman, you know, the one that the kids are calling the 'Jolly Green Giant'?" he said, a grin lighting up his face.
"That'd be my husband Nick. And he's been here even longer than me, he definitely knows his way around the mean streets of Mount Thomas. And a word to the wise, don't let Nick hear you calling him that, he hates it, and you don't want to make him mad…." Zoe said with a glint in her eye.
Gino gave her a confused, slightly worried look, and Zoe realised her film reference had fallen flat. "Jolly Green Giant? Green? You don't want to make him mad?"
"Er…" Gino hesitated.
"Incredible Hulk. Big green man. It's a film. Sorry, you'll get used to me after a while." Zoe grinned, finally seeing realisation dawn in Gino's eyes.
"Aaah, I see. Now I remember. Wasn't that a show on TV back in the dark ages or something?" Gino said with a smile.
"I think – " she was interrupted by the squeak of her mobile phone, announcing that she had a new message. " Hang on, it's the Jolly Green Giant himself, and it looks like he's requesting my presence at the Station."
"Off you go then, we're all done here. I'll see you bright and early on Monday then?" Gino said, standing up and walking Zoe to the door.
Zoe quickly made her way down to the Police Station, crossing her fingers that nothing had gone wrong. It was the right thing for them to do, coming back here. She'd been wanting to move back to Mount Thomas for a while now, and if he was honest about it, Nick had too. If he'd managed to muck it up – Zoe restrained herself, stopping short of plotting murder, but her eyes were blazing as she ran into the Station a few minutes later.
"Nick, what's – " she started, coming to a stop, her worried eyes meeting Nick's smug look and the rest of the Station's confused gaze.
"Thought you might want to see this," Nick said, as he signed his new contract with a flourish. "After all, it's not every day that this Station is saved by the arrival of its very own superstar, now is it?"
"You made me run all the way from the surgery to see you write your name?" Zoe said, her temper rising, and a grinning Having whipped the contract from Nick's grasp the second he finished his signature, (being fully aware of Zoe's fiery temperature when it came to her husband), Tom backed off with a huge grin on his face. Following Tom's lead, both Susie and Jonsey backed off too, interested in exactly how Nick would be whipped into shape.
He'd wandered into the station that morning, as though it was his own little empire. Walked through the front door, wandered into the main body of the Station being watched by a very confused Susie Raynor (who'd done the roster, and knew that Nick wasn't on that day), and had sat down at his desk, laying back in his chair and placing his feet up on his desk. Arriving a few minutes later, Tom Croydon groaned when he saw what awaited him in his Station.
"You're well and truly back aren't you, Shultz? Make yourself at home, why don't you?"
Nick had grinned over at Tom, his grin widening as Tom laid his briefcase down on a desk, and pulled out Nick's new contract. Nick had taken his time reading through the three sheets of paper, 'umming and ahhing' every now and then before placing it back down on his desk again.
"Now what Shultz?" Tom asked, making a pretty good effort to reign in his emotions. The only constant thought going round and round on a loop in his head was 'exactly WHY had he agreed to the return of the One, The Only Nicholas Schultz again?'
"Just a few small suggestions, and then all will be well with the world again," Nick said with a grin. "Tea every morning at eleven, and a packet of Tim-Tams delivered at five to eleven. Sounds good, don't you think, Boss?" He delved into his pocket, pulling out his phone, texting as he spoke. "Yes, I know Boss, who'd have thought it, Nick Schultz up to date with technology, but you can't get left behind in this fine world of ours you know. Hang on… " and then with a flourish, he was done, tucking the phone back into his pocket. "There. She'll be over in a minute, and then you can all begin to celebrate the permanent arrival of the One and Only Sergeant Nicholas Shultz! Won't that be fun?"
Nick grinned at the stunned expression on Jonsey and Susie's faces. Though he'd been around for nearly ten days, it was only now that it seemed his real personality had revealed itself to the world. Neither had really got to know him yet, he'd understandably been fairly pre-occupied with what PJ had been going through, as had the Boss, and then he'd been up there with everyone, discovering Maggie again and living through everything that that had entailed. He'd not been deliberately withdrawn from them, it was just that they hadn't spent that much time with him yet. What they did know was that Nick was very loyal to his friend, and that he was, despite his boasting, a very good copper according to the personnel file that they had dug up.
The door swung open behind them, and a very out of breath Zoe rushed in, catching everyone's attention.
"Nick, what's – " and then she frowned as she watched Nick sign his name. He was not serious. He hadn't made her run all the way over here just to watch him sign his name?
Nick had grinned up at her as he finished signing, and Tom whipped the contract away as he saw the expression on Zoe's face. Even Nick's grin faltered slightly as he got to his feet.
"Yeah, ah. So Zoe, love of my life, my darling wonderful wife…..how'd your morning go? You get all sorted out at the Surgery then?" He asked, coming round and wrapping her in a hug, trying not to make it too obvious that he was gently herding her out of the Station.
Zoe stood firm. "Nicholas Schultz. You dragged me all the way down here, away from my meeting with Dr. Cantorelli just to watch you sign on the dotted line for a job that you're already doing?"
Nick looked around him, feeling a slight twinge of panic at Zoe's words. He was supposed to be building up a reputation as a smooth operator, someone who had the world bang to rights, and here he was being whipped into shape by his wife? Ok, so said wife was the woman whom he adored and would go to the ends of the world for, but still, Nick was supposed to be his own man, to be a –
"Have I told you I love you today? Cos I do, my sweet, I love you to the moon and back" he tried.
"Hmm. Well you're going to have to prove that to me, you great lug," Zoe said, trying to hold her frown in place as she watched Nick crumble before her. "Honestly, I could throttle you sometimes. It's a damn good thing I love you as much as I do, Nicholas Shultz," she sighed, coming round and drawing him into a hug. Turning slightly, she looked over to see Tom smiling at her, his grin mirrored by those of Susie and Jonsey.
"You all done with him Tom?" she asked and Tom nodded. "Actually," Zoe glanced down at her watch, "You know what? Me and Nick are going to pop down to the pub and buy you all lunch, how does that sound?"
"Zooooooooooooooooooeee!!" Nick whined, grinning as he wrapped his arms around his wife as they left.