Hi everyone. I am so happy that people are enjoying my story. FYI this is the first chapter I ever wrote for this fan fic and it is what kicked me off on the journey of getting back into writing. It is a long one but I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 4

"Steve, Kate" Ted said from the ops room door right as the two walked through the gate into the office. He tilted his head towards the door and the two followed without question. As the blinds were down they didn't know Lottie as inside, sat at one end of the central table, until they entered.

"Before you lose your shit, I've finished classes for the day so I'm not missing my studies" Lottie said before Steve opened his mouth. Out of everyone possible who could be in that meeting room, he never would have guessed Lottie. He could see she looked anxious and tired. She was fiddling with the long sleeve of her top like she would do when she was overwhelmed as a child.

"What's going on?" Steve asked.

"Lottie has something she wants to talk to us about," Ted explained gesturing for all to sit down. Once all were sat, Lottie put the file on the table in front of her. She pulled a picture from the file and pushed it towards them.

"What do you find odd about this?" she asked. It was a picture of one of the memorial garden plaques. It was a simple slate colour. In the bottom right hand corner was a carving of a dove and the plaque read:

DS Christopher Wright

Sit tibi adsurgere per caelum nihil caveis

"Not much but I suppose the lack of dates? Must had been forgotten when it was made" Ted asked and Lottie smiled softly. She had come to the right place.

"Did you know that outside this building is this specific plaque for DS Christopher Wright?"

"Yes" Ted nodded.

"What do you know about him?"

"Nothing I'm afraid. It was there long before I started working in this building. Why?"

"For my history A-Level course we learnt about public records and were set homework of looking into the public records of someone in our family. As always I rebelled and decided to research Christopher instead. I don't know why I just felt like I needed to somehow."

She slowly pushed the file across the table to Ted. He opened it to find certificates, pictures of the variety of plaques in the garden, notes and a few new articles printed out from the online resources.

"It was the wording in Latin that stuck with me. 'May you soar through skies with no cages'. That's not the wording of a standard police plaque. So I did some digging. Christopher joined the police in 1969 at the age of eighteen. He had a good childhood being raised by his widowed mother along with his little sister Gwen in Northumberland. His mother married for a second time when Christopher was twenty and Gwen was fourteen. Feeling comfortable to leave his mother with the support she need he left Northumberland and came here in the spring of 1971. Then in the summer of 1974 when he was twenty-three he disappears from record. I went through newspaper archives where I found a couple of articles from small local newspapers about an attack on a bank three months prior in central Birmingham. Both articles report that there was a shootout and one of the two has his picture. He was hailed a hero by the writers of these articles because he ran in without back up to get to the civilians and he got them all out unharmed. These reporters recommended that he get an award but I can't find anything on it. My trail went dead which didn't make any sense. There is no death certificate, no marriage or kids. He just disappears. So I searched out his sister Gwen in news archives and I found one mention in a local Northumberland based newspaper from 1986 demanding a plaque be put up for her brother. The article didn't indicate why it should be put up or what happened to Christopher. She does imply though that Christopher was troubled in his last days. How could they be his last days if there is no death certificate or burial plot? Ok, she could mean that he disappeared and it was the last days he was seen, but how would she know that when she was still in Northumberland with no evidence they communicated in that time? Look at the picture of the bank robbery."

Ted found it in the file and placed it on the table where all could see it. It was a black and white candid photo of a young police officer in uniform without his helmet. He stood outside the bank with his jacket open, hands on his hips, looking to the open bank doors. He looked shook up but still on his feet and being in profile on a grainy picture it wasn't a great way of identifying him.

"According to the article he ran in and fired at the robbers to get to the civilians and get them out. That means that his gun would be taken off him having discharged, so why is it at his waist? He's wearing a constable's uniform – why? He's a DS so he wouldn't be wearing that. He was alone in a room with four robbers, all of them with shot guns facing him and he is clearly police given his outfit. No disguising that. Three shots were heard, three robbers died, where did the fourth one go? How did they not shoot him when he was outnumbered with an inferior riffle? It doesn't make sense! The more I think about it, the more I think something got covered up. I think he stumbled into something he wasn't meant to see. I think he … was killed for what he saw in the summer of 1974. I don't know what to do with this. I need help."

"Have you spoken to anyone about this?" Kate asked.

"No one and besides, whose department does this sit with? Cold cases? Missing persons? Even if they did see me I am a sixteen year-old with no connection to the case. They would laugh at me and throw me out. If I were you I would be asking how is it that there are only three articles in total about a heroic act of a police officer and none of them are national papers? At a time of division in this country over the force, why is it being ignored? Or did they write about it and someone covered it up? If so they didn't do a good enough job."

"What makes you think he was murdered?" Steve asked. Lottie stared at Steve in a way Kate had never seen before in all her years in the force. It was deep and harsh. A silent communication took place between them which non-one could understand but them. It was like they were one mind in the silence. But after several seconds, Lottie's gaze softened and she shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know exactly, I just fear it. The fact that there are no dates just fuels it ..." Lottie swallowed feeling her emotions being to boil up inside her.

"You know that feeling you get in your gut when you know something is seriously wrong and it stops you from moving? I've had that feeling since I saw that picture four days ago. And all –" suddenly she stopped and turned her head towards the door so she was in profile to them. She began to cry and brought a hand up to her mouth. Steve instantly went into protection mode and joined her side of the desk to put his arm around her.

"I'm sorry," she gasped through tears before wiping her eyes and sniffing.

"Don't apologize, petal, take your time" Ted assured her. Unexpectedly Lottie smiled and looked at him.

"Is that my nickname?"

"Might be."

Once she composed herself she took a deep breath but her voice was still wobbly.

"All I can think about is that he never came home … and no one seems to care about that! I keep seeing him dead in my dreams and I'm a no one to him but he was someone to his family. Gwen should know where her brother is because having this feeling for four days has been draining. She's had it for forty years. I need to help her. I know it may be impossible but you have the chance to right a wrong. Please?" Everyone was silent.

"When was the last time you slept or ate anything?" Ted asked. Lottie reluctantly shrugged.

"It's not really been a priority" she admitted. It was only then that Steve realized for over a week now the two hadn't eaten a single meal together. Granted when they had eaten in the past three weeks it was in stone silence or Lottie would take her meal into her room. This past week thought, due to a shift in his working pattern of late they had existed like two ships passing in the night. As one got home the other left.

"Where are the loos?" Lottie asked with a sniff.

"I'll show you" Katie said and the two women left the room. Steve leant back in the chair he was in clearly frustrated according to Ted.

"You've got a sweet kid there Steve."

"Sometimes I think she is too sweet. I was too busy to notice something was wrong."

"Don't blame yourself for that. It is the nature of the job that in order to dedicate to it, somewhere something gets neglected. You aren't a bad person Steve; it's finding the balance that is key."

The door opened and Kate re-entered the room, closing the door behind her.

"She's alright. Just a bit embarrassed. Give her five minutes."

"So what do we think then?" Ted asked.

"Can't deny it, she got my attention. I never noticed that plaque before I'm ashamed to say" Kate explained.

"Just like none of us noticed swapped break cables on a bike but she did. She's right, this doesn't make any sense but I'm not sure how much we can uncover from old records, no digital data and possibly a case multiple departments could take and bury" Steve replied.

"First things first, that girl needs food and rest. Steve, as it is Friday you are finishing for the day and I will not see you in the office until Monday morning under any circumstance," Ted commanded.

"But sir, we are so busy right now" Steve began to protest.

"We can cope without you until Monday. It is two and a half days Steve not months."

"Yes, sir."

"I think we take this slowly as we don't even know if we have a case here. Let's pull Christopher's police record and see what we can find on the bank robbery. If there is enough there for us to continue then we will, agreed?"

"Agreed, Sir" Kate and Steve said in unison. A few minutes later Lottie re-entered having splashed cold water on her face but her eyes were still red and puffy and she continued to play with her long sleeve like her nervous childhood self.

"So, do you believe me or do you think I'm crazy?" she asked standing by the door ready to bolt at any second.

"Crazy is a word I'd never associate with you. I'm not going to lie to you though. This is going to be difficult given old records, differences in forensics and lack of technology at the time. It may never be solved. That doesn't mean we can't try." To Ted's surprise Lottie walked over to him and kissed his cheek.

"I want to make this perfectly clear; this stays between the four of us for now. Lottie, you don't present your findings to your A-Level class and you walk away from this. If you are right you could be an easy target and we have to protect you. Leave this to the experts. You never come to this office whilst we investigate this."

"I understand" she nodded.

"Are these all your documents? Are there any copies?"

"That's everything. I do have copies on my personal laptop. It's the only device I used to research him apart from the local records department at the library."

"Ok, Steve, Kate, you both take her home and Kate bring back the laptop so we can get the source details. Lottie, you'll get it back by Monday I promise. In the meantime, Steve, look after her and Lottie you are resting until Monday at least."

"Monday?" she asked as if it was a lifetime. 'So like Steve' both Ted and Kate thought.

"Don't make me put you under surveillance" Ted warned. Reluctantly she nodded. "Alright then you all have your assignments. Get better soon Lottie, we'll look after Christopher now, petal."

"Thank you, Father Ted." Ted raised an eyebrow.

"Nickname?" he asked and she nodded.

"Well you are the father of AC-12. The Irish link is an added bonus."

Lottie sat in Kate's car on the drive home knowing the ride with Steve was one to avoid. Besides, she wanted to talk to Kate. The lack of female interaction with someone a bit older than her meant that Lottie secretly craved it. She could go to her mother but it needed to be someone outside family so Kate ticked the boxes.

"He's gonna be a pain in the ass for a bit but once he cools off he'll be alright," Kate reassured Lottie. "I'm sure you know he's a workaholic."

"He's just passionate about what he does. I've never heard him so positive about his work since joining AC-12. Don't tell him but I am thankful for you Kate."

"Why me?"

"Steve is my designated protector, but who is his? I'm thankful he has a friend like you to keep an eye on him and tell him off for being a twat." That made Kate smile.

"I can be that person for you too if you like. No problem if not but I have a feeling you could be in need of a female friend." Lottie smile and turned to look at Kate.

"Thanks Kate. I'd really like that. Steve isn't someone I can talk to about women stuff as you can imagine. He still sees me as the little girl who he taught to walk not a woman. He looked like he was going to be sick when he saw my bloodstained bedding last week." The thought of Steve's face made the two laugh which was much needed.

"He's a good guy and when he's not in police mode he can just be my brother, you know? He just can't turn it off that fast at home so the flat has a black cloud in it all the time" Lottie explained.

"I'll talk to him." Silence fell and Kate could sense something else was going on. "You alright?"

"Kate, is there a women's clinic around here I can book an appointment with?" Lottie asked a little nervously.

"Yeah, not far from Steve's place. Something you want to talk about?"

"No, I just want to get something checked out. I'm not pregnant if that's what you're thinking." Kate shook her head.

"Never crossed my mind." Lottie could tell Kate was telling the truth. "I'll text you the details."

"Thanks". They sat in silence for the rest of the drive.

Evidently, Steve had cooled down in the drive over as when he got out of his car he was in protection mode once more. Work Steve had been stripped away and Kate saw the brotherly love Lottie has been describing. He was thoughtful and attentive. Lottie found her laptop in her room and brought it out to Kate.

"Here the passcode and my phone number," Lottie said handing over a folded post it note to Kate, before yawning. "Sorry."

"Don't be silly. You need your rest. I promise I'll look after this."

"Thanks. Text me when it's ready for me again?" Lottie asked and a silent communication between the two related to the clinic as well. Kate nodded and Lottie turned to Steve.

"I'm going to jump in the shower."

"I'll make you some lunch." Lottie headed to the bathroom and shut the door. Now Kate could talk to Steve properly.

"You need to cut yourself some slack, Steve."

"Meaning?" He asked confused.

"Meaning, work stops at the front door. You aren't failing but if you continue like you are, you'll lose her for good. I'm being blunt because I know your mind. I'm always here to chat, mate, you know that. She needs you as her brother not her boss." Steve let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed his eyes. Clearly he was frustrated with himself Kate determined.

I'm doing the best I can."

"I know but it's not working so try another angle. You know when she was a toddler and she wouldn't eat food and throw tantrums like all babies do? How did you get her to eat?" she asked.

"Pretend her spoon was a plane."

"Exactly. Now she's sixteen and that won't work. So how do you get her to eat right now when she needs food and rest?" Steve thought about it.

"Give her a favourite meal of hers not what I want," he figured out.

"Learning quickly. Being a parent is the toughest job in the world Steve. You will mess up, you aren't perfect, and you are only a four weeks in. Take the advice now. Oh and always make sure pain killers, chocolate, hot water bottle and ice-cream is around at all times. Trust me."

"Thanks mate" Steve smiled. He had a lot of learning to do.

Lottie emerged from the bathroom now dressed in her pyjamas, her wet hair combed. She was really feeling tired now, almost tipsy because of it, but flashes of Christopher dead from her dreams reflected in the bathroom mirror brought her back to being wide awake. Despite her cheeks being flushed from the hot shower she could see her skin looked paler than normal and she had large bags under her eyes making her look much older.

To her surprise, when she got to her room she found Steve placing a tray on her bedside table. He was no longer in his suit but instead jeans and a t-shirt.

"Lunch in bed?" she asked.

"As always when ill," he replied. She looked at the tray and smiled. On it she found a bowl of Heinz cream of tomato soup, a plate with a thick cheese sandwich on it and a large mug of strong tea.

"Food of the Gods," she said continuing to smile.

"Eat up, and yes I will be watching to make sure you eat it all." He sat on the end of the bed as she began to eat. General chit chat formed between them as she ate. At first it was a little awkward but they then relaxed and just let it be. They talked about Australia, sport, anything other than the elephant in the room. Once Steve was satisfied she had eaten the majority of the meal he broached the subject.

"Why didn't you tell me about Christopher?" he asked.

"Don't play dumb, you know why. We haven't really talked since I got here. FYI, I'm not blaming either one of us for that. It sounds strange but he became my imaginary friend for a week. He …. relieved the loneliness. Yes I have made friends on my course but I don't have friends here like I have at home Steve. Being the new kid, friendships aren't instantaneous. I've been a bit lonely and not talking to you hasn't helped that." He put a hand on hers.

"I'm sorry for what happened and that you felt you couldn't talk to me. I will make it up to you, I promise." She finished off her food and was now fighting sleep. Reminded him of when she was a baby. She would fight sleep as long as possible, determined to see as much of the day as she could. It did mean though that she would often fall limp in a deep sleep in his arms or even as she was walking somewhat drunkenly across a room. He had grown into an expert catcher because of it.

"Here, take these." Steve handed her two tablets. "Sleeping pills. They'll help you sleep better." She did as she was told and got into her bed.

"Steve, will you stay with me? Until I fall asleep at least? I don't want to be on my own." He could see she was scared so he nodded. Once she was lying down he re-positioned himself to be sat on the edge of the bed by the right side of her torso. He put her right hand in his left and used his right hand to stroke her hair. She closed her eyes.

"I used to do this all the time when you were little, do you remember?"

She let out a small groan in response. Clearly the pills were taking affect. He began to hum her favourite childhood song. You Are My Sunshine. He continued to stroke her hair and hold her hand for about twenty minutes until he was sure she was in a deep sleep. After quietly taking the tray and shutting the bedroom door, he pulled out his phone and texted Kate.

"Clean, fed and sleeping." The text read. A couple of minutes later he got a reply.

"Well done, dad. Now do that millions more times until you graduate" Kate replied with a wink emoji.