Chapter 25

Black. Everything was black, now with the added bonus of fuzzy white bits and a full brass band playing in my head. Urgh. What the fuck. Slowly I could hear noise; like that damn radio from earlier was gradually being turned up. I slowly, crept into consciousness. Keeping my eyes firmly shut I used all my other senses to check what was going on before opening my eyes.

My head was resting on something, no, someone soft but it wasn't Emily, I could tell by the smell. Rough hands stroked my hair as I heard a man's voice ask about me. Tony. Tony was asking about me which meant I was resting on JJ, I was sure of it.

"Statistically, the sooner she wakes the better Tony, I think she'll come round soon, her eyebrows have been twitching and she's started frowning. She's been out for 7 minutes 32 seconds now"

I heard Tony move closer and kneel down next to me. The smell of his usual aftershave wafting over me. I didn't want to open my eyes. I knew Emily wouldn't be there. Keeping them closed didn't help either; all I could see was the utter devastation in her beautiful eyes when she saw me in my police uniform. There was no way I could explain my lying to her. Why the fuck would she listen? Only last night and this morning I'd told her I loved her and now...now it was fucked up. Why should she even believe I loved her? Yet again my job had fucked my life up. Still at least we got the bad guys eh? That's all that fucking counts.

I listened to Tony and JJ discussing what had gone on after Katie had managed to somehow smack me with a double handed punch combined with metal cuffs. Bollocks my jaw hurt. That girl had some guns on her too, just like her sister.

"Christ knows what's going to happen with the case JJ. It's a fucking mess." I felt Tony stroke my hair off my face as he sighed. "We're going to face all sorts of shit from th eir legal team saying Noam's was involved with a suspect, even though Emily's not one, the evidence was tainted, you know what they're like. Thank fuck her notes and reports are as anal as always for her."

"The guv's going to have to suspend Noam's isn't he Tony. To keep her away from the case? Although her undercover stint didn't get us anything. And she's done nothing wrong other than fall in love." Ah fuck this for a game of soldiers, I sighed, stretched and slowly blinked my eyes open. Fuck my jaw hurt. I bet that fucking bitch had broken it.

The faces of Tony and JJ came into view, both smiling at me.

"Hey lazy arse. Letting us do all the work and lying down on the job." Tony smiled at me as I struggled to sit up, JJ putting an arm around me, steadying me. I rubbed my jaw. There was a huge bump there. I winced as I touched it. I couldn't blame Katie though. Hopefully she was pissed with me over Emily and that's why she gave me a crack. Siblings defending each other I'd tolerate, and in a weird way I hoped it would mean she really did love her sister.

"Where's Emily? What happened Tone? " Fuck, yup, it fucking hurt to talk. I carried on rubbing my jaw and leaned back into JJ's quiet support, looking around me. The house was swarming with coppers searching every nook and cranny for drugs and money I assumed. There was already several evidence bags were lined up in the hallway, full of interesting things.

Tony explained that the targets and the Fitch girls had been escorted to a station for questioning and that already plenty of drugs had been found with a high enough street value to keep the owners away for a good long holiday at Her Majesty's Pleasure. That was in seven minutes of me being dead to the world. Christ knows how much gear would eventually turn up. Everyone in the house would get fingerprinted to help rule out suspects. I hoped to god Emily wasn't involved. No, she couldn't be. I was the lying bastard not her. I managed to stand up, refusing all attempts to get me to a hospital. I knew I'd have to deal with the aftermath of this disaster and figured I'd do it sooner rather than later. I asked Tony for the guv's location and found him in the kitchen counting ecstasy tablets.

After checking I was ok, he simply told me to go home. Suspended from duty. Gardening leave until further notice. No contact with the office or anyone in it. It wasn't really a punishment, harsh as it sounded; they had to cover themselves to make sure a conviction went through and I was possibly a big fucking liability to that. The bit that DID fucking hurt was when I was told no contact with Emily either. My face must have shown the horror that little titbit of information caused as Derek put an arm around me, telling me it wouldn't be for long just 'until it was cleared up and then you can go grovel to her and explain we're all shit bags'. I'd have to be interviewed about my relationship with Emily and divulge any information I knew and debriefed on the whole disastrous twatting mess. I walked away defeated, running my hand through my hair and feeling the bastard lump on my jaw again. How the hell was I supposed to fix things with her if I couldn't talk to her?

I slowly walked out towards the door, not knowing where I was going. I was tooled up and geared up with literally nowhere to go. I spotted Tony outside and headed for him. Smiling as I approached, he waved a set of keys at me and pointed at the van.

"Your chariot awaits m'lady. Come on Naoms, you need to sign all that gear in and I'll take you home then."

I looked at him for a minute, opened the van door and sat in the passenger seat looking out of the window, waiting. I couldn't be bothered talking. My jaw hurt and my heart was pretty much bleeding out everywhere.

Tony looked at me as he drove us to the office and started talking.

"Naoms, listen to me. I know you're not supposed to talk to anyone from the office, but there's no way JJ and I are going to keep you out of the loop so to speak. I'll talk to Emily for you." I looked at him sharply. "Explain you were caught trying to do your job. Fucking hell girl you told me enough times you hated lying to her. She needs to know. I'll get you in touch with her somehow. Trust me Naomi. She's the best thing that's ever happened to you. She went fucking nuts at her sister after she slugged you. We had to separate them and then carry her away from you."

Hot tears started leaking from my eyes as Tony explained he'd tell her I couldn't phone her until she was cleared as a suspect and I was cleared of being an arsehole and he knew she wasn't involved. It was just fucking protocol to arrest everyone in the premises.

I signed all my gear into the equipment store, left my warrant cards on the boss's desk and made to leave the building and go home. I had a headache that would fell a hippo and I just wanted to be left alone to die quietly. Dramatic yeah, but hey, you try having the day I'd had and see the actual moment the heart of the woman you love broke in front of you. Because of you. Because your job made you a lying twat.

I said goodbye to the lads in the office avoiding their sympathetic gazes and concern over the state of my face and headed for the lift. As I exited the building I saw Tony sitting in the van waiting for me.

"Come on Naoms, I'll drop you over at yours before I head back to the house." Fuck it. He was only being a good mate to me I suppose. I got in and he drove off. In the wrong direction.

"Where the fuck are you taking me Tony?" He glanced over at me.

"Hey, you can still speak, good." He smiled, "you'll see. Just sit there for 10 minutes or so."

I looked at him and just couldn't be arsed arguing. 'What was the point?' was rapidly becoming my new catch phrase. I closed my eyes as the tears came in earnest. Poor Emily. I'd destroyed her and she was probably sitting in an interview room with some unfeeling twat barking questions at her and she'd done nothing wrong. It was all such a fucking mess.

I didn't realise we'd stopped until I heard my door open and felt a familiar presence next to me. A familiar comforting smell surrounded me along with a pair of thin but strong arms. Effy. Bless Tony, he'd taken me straight to the only other person he knew could deal with me like this. I heard them murmuring to each other and opened my eyes as I felt Tony kiss me on my cheek. I looked at him through my tears.

"Keep the faith Naomi, be brave. We'll work this out ok? I'll be in touch." He leant across and gave Effy a quick kiss and I was dragged out of the van and into her house to wallow in my own guilt, misery and pain.

I was sat on the sofa crying. I didn't know what else to do. Effy hovered next to me, saying nothing as I cried myself out. Eventually, even the tears deserted me and I just sat still, eyes staring down at my hands.

"Tony's told me everything that's happened Noam's. You shouldn't be by yourself today ok? Not after that punch you took, you should have gone to hospital. Plus which, Tony'll ring my phone with any news." She leaned in closer and surprised me by not pulling me into a hug; she placed her head on my shoulder instead. "We WILL work through this tiger."

I smiled at her use of her pet name for me and automatically placed an arm around her. Bitch. She knew what she was doing.

"Don't feel very tiger like" I grumbled. "I hate myself. She hates me and I don't blame her. I told her I loved her last night and then today..." I waved my other arm around in the air "this. You didn't see her Eff, she looked destroyed. I've killed her."

Effy lifted her head up and stared at me until I gave in and turned my red bloodshot eyes on her.

"There's nothing done that we can't fix Naomi. You two love each other enough to overcome this. Tony said he had to pick her up and carry her away from you after her bitch of a sister decked you. We can sort this out, but it'll take time. She's going to be pissed, hurt and angry at you, but we can sort it. Me and Tony'll help you." She stood up, bent down and kissed my head. "Now let me get you some ice for that jaw of yours. I'll kill that bitch for punching you."

Now that ALMOST made me smile. Effy McClair v Katie Cook was one fight I reckon I'd pay to see.