Authors note. This is the penultimate chapter. Thanks for all the reviews. No copyright infringement is intended nor should be inferred.

Worry

The stench of gas filled the air as Kat and Butchers stood in the doorway. She covered her mouth with one hand as she realised Shapps was sat on top of the man they had come to arrest. The injured police officer slumped back down on the sofa as blood seeped onto her uniform. Kat crossed the room to her in seconds, the stench of CS gas filling the air.

"You alright?" She knelt at her side as the young officer nodded. "Julie?"

"Yeah. He was going to shoot the Guv. Only thing I could think of was to let off my CS gas. Hate the bloody stuff though." She gasped as Shapps and Butchers bundled the wiry man out of the room. Richard crossed to the window and opened it wide to allow fresh air to enter the room.

"We need to get out of here." Richard crossed to the two women and helped Kat lift Julie off the sofa before half carrying her out of the house. "Thanks for that, by the way."

"No problem." Julie hissed a breath in.

"You're going to be ok." Kat stated firmly before half dragging the officer towards the waiting paramedics. Richard looked over to see Shapps and Butchers formally arrest the man that had held him at gun point less than twenty minutes earlier. Smirking to himself he knew Hogg would have to admit their clear up rate was still the best.

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Michael lifted the hold all he had put in the car boot as Tom and Charlotte continued to chat away, filling Janine in on everything that had happened while she was in hospital.

"Mum?" Tom looked at her as she picked Charlotte up.

"Yes, Tom?"

"Are you going to be ok now? Did the doctors give you medicine like they did Ellie with her asthma?"

"Yes I am fine." She smiled at him. "I promise you I am fine now. I have tablets I have to take everyday until my outpatient's appointment. They want to check I'm getting better."

"Oh." Tom frowned as Michael slammed the boot shut. "That's good. Richard may have to stay a bit longer. Make sure you are ok."

"Really?" Janine raised an eyebrow as she unlocked the front door. "You like having Richard stay here?"

"He's cool. He lets us watch football with a few cans."

"Excuse me?" Janine raised an eyebrow as they walked into her living room. She half expected the house to look like a tip. Looking around she couldn't see anything out of place. There wasn't even a dirty dish in the sink. "Who's been looking after this place?"

"Me." Michael stated calmly. "And Richard. He's been a bit of a house husband."

"Really?" Janine smiled just as the front door opened to let Ellie in.

"MUM!"

"Hello you." Janine hugged her oldest daughter. She glanced at the clock on the wall, unable to shake the feeling something had happened.

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"And he's coughed to the lot?" Kat raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Well after he put a bullet in Julie's shoulder, he couldn't really deny it." Shapps stated. "How is she?"

"They're keeping her in tonight. Her mum said she has to have an operation to remove the bullet and repair her shoulder muscle but she'll be fine." Butchers opened his desk drawer in search of his crisps. Shapps rolled his eyes.

"What about you? Richard? You ok?"

"Me?" Richard loosened his tie. "I'm ok. Look, I'm gonna call it a night." He watched as the others nodded and murmered something about going to the pub. Richard waved before heading out to the car park. He wanted to get home as fast as possible. He couldn't remember the last time he had been so keen to leave the office. Jogging down the steps he checked his phone, happy for once to be leaving the station. He had a family to get home to.

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A/N Last chapter soon.