Jack

The armed police are waiting for Carmichael, when he comes out. We see him secrete his gun as he leaves the basement and my heart is in my mouth. He's a professional hit-man.

Surely, he wouldn't have left unless he'd done what he came to do?

As the armed police prepare to apprehend Carmichael, he reaches for his gun and is shot dead.

Up to now, we still have no idea where Nikki is – or what state she might be in. She could be injured – she could be dead. Professional hit – men don't leave people alive.

If he found her, she's dead.

Thankfully, we don't have to wait long to find out.

"Armed police. Armed police, madam. Step forward. Slowly raise your hands for me."

"Thank God!" Thomas mutters.

I find that I'm unable to speak.

Nikki looks absolutely terrified and she's trembling, but she seems otherwise unharmed. I'm over there with her as soon as they'll let me.

"You ok? You ok?"

"I'm fine." She mutters, snuggling into me.

"I should have taken you back to the Lyell with me, I'm sorry."

"Don't be silly, Jack." She sighs. "1. You didn't know there was hit-man out to get me – and 2. You can't watch me 24/7."

"She's right, Jack." Thomas agrees. "She probably wouldn't let anyone watch her 24/7, anyway." He turns to Nikki, just to confirm she's not hurt. "I take it Carmichael missed you altogether? We heard the first gunshots."

"Yes, he missed." She confirms. "I hid in the basement. He came down there looking – even looked in the room I was hiding in, but luckily he didn't see me, and decided I wasn't there."

"See, Jack." Thomas remarks. "Nikki's perfectly capable of looking after herself, so you can go home now."

"I never said she wasn't." I retort, cross that my need to protect my best friend is being questioned.

She does need me – I'm her bodyguard.

"You know, he didn't go home last night?" Thomas decides to inform Nikki. "He was asleep on his desk when Clarissa and I arrived this morning."

Nikki turns to me. "Right, well you're not driving home then. You can stay at mine."

Nikki

Jack starts to protest. "Nikki..."

"It's not up for discussion, Jack." I tell him firmly. "I'm not risking you falling asleep at the wheel. Besides," I add, knowing this will provoke agreement straight away. "I don't really want to be on my own, and I'd feel much safer if you were with me."

He backs down, taking on the job of being my personal bodyguard as usual. "Ok. You're shivering." He points out, wrapping his coat around me.

"Yes." I agree. "Well, I couldn't really say to Carmichael, 'Could you just wait while I get my coat', could I?" I turn to DI Rankin whos just come over. "That reminds me, I don't suppose there's any chance of getting my front door fixed?"

"Not until the morning I'm afraid." She answers briskly. "We can organise to put you up in a hotel, if you're scared..."

The last part is said in a tone which 'dares' me to accept the offer. She still doesn't think I'm entirely innocent. I've just nearly had my head blown off by a professional hit-man – and would I really hire someone to take myself out? Seriously, how much proof does she need?

I cut her off. "That's ok, thank you. Jack's going to stay with me tonight."

She screws her nose up at him as though he smells bad. "Good."

Apparently, proceedure calls for an evacuation of the whole building, while armed response do a full sweep and it's a good half an hour before we're allowed back in. I can tell that I'm not going to be popular with my neighbours. When we are finally given the all-clear, Thomas goes home, whilst Jack and I retreat back to my flat.

"I'm suddenly really tired." I announce. "I think I'm ready for bed."

"I'm not surprised – you've had quite a day!" Jack points out. "And you can't have got much sleep in that cell last night either."

"Hmm-mm." I nod. "Says the man who slept on his desk!"

He shrugs. "I was worried about you."

"And you couldn't be worried about me at home?" I say, giving him a hug. Bless him – he's blushing.

He clears his throat. "Anyway, um... where do you want me to sleep?"

I raise my eyebrows at him. "Well, as you know – there is only one bedroom, and you don't normally need to ask."

"I know." He mutters. "I just thought you might want me to sleep on the sofa, so I'm near the door that doesn't lock! Make you feel safer."

"That's sweet of you, Jack." I tell him. "But I'd feel safer if you're in the same room."

"Ok." He answers. "I'll just have a drink, then I'll go to bed too." He picks up the glass off the counter.

"You might want to use a different glass..." I comment with a snigger. He's going to be absolutely disgusted in a minute.

"What? Why?" He asks, turning back from the tap.

I chuckle. "Because Scott spat in that one."

He immediately drops the glass, which breaks when it makes contact with the floor and looks appalled. "Urgh, what the hell did he do that for?"

I burst into a fit of giggles at his horrified reaction and open the cupboard behind me. "DNA" I comment, handing Jack a clean glass. He fills the glass with water and leans against the counter to drink it.

"Couldn't he of pricked his finger or something – he didn't have to spit! That's disgusting." He sips his water. "What was he doing here anyway?"

"I invited him." I admit.

"Ok, but spitting...urgh!"

I shrug, crouching down to pick up the broken glass. "He might have been a bit annoyed with me."

"Oh, I see." Jack snorts knowingly.

I glance up at him. "Oh yeah? What do you see?"

"You invited Scott over here under the pretence of wanting to see him – but really, you just wanted his DNA." Jack informs me confidently. "Scott worked out what you were up to and confronted you, then you both yelled at each other, culminating in him spitting in the glass and storming out – which is why..." he adds with a smirk. "You sounded so flustered when I rang to warn you about Carmichael."

I chuckle at his triumphant face. "Yeah, that was pretty much it!"

"I know exactly what you're like!" He smirks. "Leave that." He instructs me as I start carefully picking up the glass.. "I'll do it when I've finished here. It's the least I can do when I broke the glass – Sorry about that, by the way." He adds apologetically waving his arm at the devastation he caused.

"It's ok, Jack – I've got loads. Anyway, I'd rather do it while you're standing still – I don't want you to stand on some glass. Just drink your water, love." I explain.

He drinks some more thoughtfully. "So what did Scott yell at you then?"

I snigger slightly. "You mean you don't know?!" I get up with broken glass and put it in the kitchen bin. "Just the normal sort of stuff that all my exes yell at me during an argument – its no wonder I work with dead people because they can't answer back – or make a claim on me. You know the kind of thing!" I lean on the counter next to him as he drains his glass and rinses it under the tap. "He didn't really say anything untrue. Time for bed then?"

Jack nods and follows me out the kitchen. "It's been quite a night!"