Chapter 43

It was no surprise to Hope that she begun the new year with a bit of a spring in her step.

She believed it was the only way she could begin it after the holiday she had had.

Bo had been around to see her and Ciara more and more and it just felt more and more right that he was there with them.

In heart she wanted to believe more than anything that he was there for the long haul and in time she was sure she would be.

They were never going to be able to change the past but she did not have to let it dictate the future and she had no plans to let it do so.

They had been partners in their work for a while again now and if she had her way it was not going to be very long until they were partners in life again to. She just wanted it all back.

She walked into her office for the first working day of the new year and had hopes for it to be an easy one.

Of course they were going to have to deal with the normal amount of New Year's drunks but she was used to handling that.

She had to admit she was sorry it did not take long for there to be a knock on her door but if she did not want the respect then she should not have asked for the responsibility.

"Come in."

Lani the newest recruit to the force did as she was told. So far Hope liked the girl and though she was going to be a good cop.

"How was your Christmas, Lani? Did you enjoy it?"

"I did."

Hope looked up at her for she was able to hear the nerves in her voice.

"What is it?"

Lani did not reply but put the report she had been carrying down on the desk. She wished more than anything there was a way to soften the blow but she knew there was not.

Hope knew she was not going to like whatever this was but she also knew she was not going to like it any more for putting off reading it. She did so from cover to cover and then cover to cover again as she looked for the part which said this was all a very early sick April fools.

But it was real.

In their wisdom the CPS had ruled there was no case against Grayson which Hope thought was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. It was little wonder at times some people had no faith in the legal system at all. Just then she did not know if she did.

The one thing which was for sure was she would have to go very carefully if she was the one who had to tell Kayla.

But due to her own anger she did not know if she was ready to start thinking about that yet.

All she could do was shake.

In fact she was still doing so when she heard Bo and Steve came into the office and she knew she was not going to be dealing with it on her own for much longer.

And if she felt like this she had no idea how Steve and Bo would feel.

They were joking and she could hear them laughing.

As a cop she knew why the law had to work the law had to work the way it did but as a citizen she did not think she was ever going to understand any of it.

She did not want to Bo came striding to her office just then and there was a tiny part of her which wanted to have a go at him for being so over familiar when he did so (an emotion she had not felt for days) but the bigger part of her said even if she did wan t to take all of her anger and frustration out on some one that to do so on him was going to do no good. She just did not know for the life of her why the word of the respected Doctor Brady was not enough.

It damn well should be.

"Are you ok Fancy Face?" Bo questioned.

She shook her head.

And she knew now why Lani had not been able to talk to her about it all. She felt as the younger cop had done. She knew she had to talk to the boys as she did not want them to read it as she had – she was not sure if they could cope with that.

"No, I am not," she wanted them to understand what had gone on as soon but as gently as they could. But there would be no gentleness in them once they knew.

They looked at her with concern.

"What is it Sweet Thing?" asked Steve as he looked at her.

"Well we are all about to have the worst beginning to the New Year ever."

Bo raised an eye brow.

He had thought it was quite a good new year all in all. He was happier than he had been in a very, very long times. And that was down to her.

But when he saw there was a report in front of her wondered if this was all something to do with work but he understood there was only one case which they were working on which was going to upset her this much.

"What is it?"

"The CPS have – they have decided due to lack of evidence there is no case against Grayson."

Steve felt as if he was going to be sick and he had no idea how in the world any justice system could come to that decision. it felt as if he had been kicked in the stomach and he had had no warning this would happen…

One word went through his head… How?

He knew not everyone saw it as he did but if they knew Kayla as he did then they would. This could not be right. It wasn't right.

Kayla. How was he going to be able to tell her any of this?

All that stress she had been able to shake off had left her as a much freer woman.

"How could they do this to her?" he asked, almost more bewildered then angry, though there was a good amount of anger too.

Bo looked as if he was ready to go and kill who ever had come to that decision.

She knew all and any of them could.

"We are not going to give up and we are going to a have him behind bars."

"You have got that right," growled Bo.

"It is just all going to take a bit more time them we want it too." Hope stated plainly and trying to keep her own anger at bay.

Steve did not say anything more but he knew he could not keep this from her. If anyone had to know then she did.

"I need to go over to the hospital," he realised as he wondered if he could leave it to the end of the day.

If he could leave her in her blissful ignorance but he knew in his heart that was not what she would want and after all she had been through, they had to do all of this the way she wanted to do it. He would never risk her trust.

The two Brady's gave a nod which said they were not going to argue with that. She was going to need him when she found out.

He left the room so angry that it was palpable.

Hope and Bo said nothing to one another for there were no words.

X x x

Marcus and Kayla had had a good morning. In spite of the normal emergency room chaos, they had managed to clear the wards fast and now could get on with the real work of making sick people feel better.

"Just like the good old days," Marcus declared as they walked down the corridor with his arm thrown casually about her, with all the warmth of his brotherly affection for her.

"It does doesn't it? Did Steve being back in the fold for Christmas?"

"Are you kidding me? Is the pope a catholic?" she could not help but laugh and it was then they decided to take a break from the serious business of their work to take a coffee break. They headed to her office, where he quickly sat down before her desk.

"You know I think this year is going to be a whole other a kettle of fish for all of us."

"Well, I will drink to that or I would if I had a drink." She said as she put on the coffee.

2016 was going to be wonderful for all of them if she had her way.

It was when they were in her office that there was a knock on the door. Thinking it was going to be a colleague or a student she called them in and was therefore surprised but as ever glad to a Steve walk in. "We are meant to be at work, Mr Impertinence," she greeted him with a wide smile.

He felt his heart break for her all over again.

"I am sorry to disturb you both when you are both working so hard," he said to try and keep the mood light for just a moment more.

"That is very big talk from a man who is not even at his place of work Homey."

"Well I have come to have a word with Kayla."

"I do believe that is my queue to go."

"Marcus, stay," said Kayla if there was something going on, than all three of them knew in the end they were going to come and tell him in the end. Steve gave a nod. It was better they cut out the middle man. This was not going to be easy so he would not mind a bit of back up and he was going to find out in the end anyway.

"What is it?" asked Kayla as she knew they had to get down to it. She knew him and she knew it was bad.

He stood still for a minute as he tried to find the words and then he crossed the room and kissed her forehead.

She covered the hand of his which sat on her arm and she knew in her heart he was trying to tell her to be brave and as long as she had him then she knew she could be.

Courage.

"Steve."

"We got the report back from the CPS today – baby, they have decided there is no case against Grayson."

She had known as soon as he had said the words 'CPS' but in the end it did not make it any easier. So this was it, the moment when she was labelled as a liar just as she had been by Jack. So it really was all going to happen all over again. She should have known it - everything else had so why shouldn't this.

"Sweetness?"

For a moment she had been so deadly quiet he had had cause to fear she had not taken it in at all but then he saw there was a fire in her eyes. That was why he had fallen in love with her.

"I am not going to give up."

"No, we are not." For the last then thing he wanted was for her to think she was on her own in this for she was not. He was right by her side and he would remain at her side as long as she allowed it.

"He is not going get away with what he did. And he will not do it to another woman if I have anything to do about it."

"I am so sorry sweetness – none of this should be happening to you."

"No," she agreed. It should not be happening to her. But it was.

So she had to deal with that one way or the other. She could melt away, let the shame eat away at her and let that man continue on his way. She could be his victim and it would be the easiest thing in the world.

Or her other option was to take all the love and all the support that she had, and gain justice and the knowledge she had made other women safe.

It was a no brainer. She was a doctor and she never let wounds feaster.

She got to the cause, flushed out the infection and move on to the next case better for what she had learnt from it.

And that was just what she had in mind with the fight she had on her hands now. It wasn't going to be easy – and she had a feeling she wouldn't always feel brave. But she wasn't going to lose. Not in a month of Sundays.

"But it is happening to me – so I am going to face it… and fight it. And win."

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