"Hi!" Kate said as she put her hand out in greeting. She saw Steve freeze. He was just as discombobulated as she was by the looks of it at this weird situation. "Kate Forster," she repeated her name.

Steve didn't take her hand immediately despite her silently pleading with him to do so. The others were going to notice something was up if he didn't start acting normally soon.

It was too late though. The rest of the unit noticed Steve's reticence to greet their new colleague. "Something wrong, mate?" Asked the officer that Kate remembered was called Jay.

For a horrifying moment Kate wondered if Steve was about to out her. He obviously knew she was undercover from her false name. Please don't do it, she begged him with her eyes although she wouldn't blame him if he did.

"Sorry," said Steve as he finally shook Kate's hand. "Steve Abbott,". Steve's undercover as well, Kate realised. What the hell was going on? "You just reminded me of an ex-girlfriend. We had a rather messy break up after she stabbed me in the back," he explained to the rest of the team for his delay in shaking hands although Kate knew it was a very pointed remark aimed at her.

"Ooh mate," said Jay. "Don't get on the wrong side of your partner so quickly," he advised a bit too late. Jay could tell that this new partnership was going to have a lot of fireworks.

"We're off to the pub for a post shift drink," a female officer called Fatima said to Kate. "Come with us and get to know everyone before your first shift tomorrow," she suggested.

Kate looked at Steve. He didn't look terribly fond of that idea. Which was just tough. She had a job to do and no time like the present to get started. "OK," she agreed and followed the others to the local.


Once they were at the pub, Kate wanted to try and get Steve alone to talk and find out what he was doing at Edgeburrow. Steve however didn't seem to be on the same page. He stayed well clear of Kate, choosing to mix with the male members of the response unit instead.

She finally got her chance with a fortuitous meeting near the toilets. Steve was leaving the gents as Kate was making her way to the ladies.

"Can we talk?" she asked as she looked around. The toilets were in a secluded area of the pub and none of their colleagues could see them.

"Don't think there's much to say really," Steve retorted, keen to get away from Kate as soon as possible.

"Look I'm sorry about what happened," Kate said, ignoring Steve's response. "I had no idea the gaffer was going to do what he did," she continued desperately, hoping she could convince Steve she was telling the truth.

"And?" Steve asked.

"I tried so hard to apologise. I even went to your parents to try and get your new address," she revealed.

"I know," Steve said. "I was there. I told mum to get rid of you," he revealed harshly.

Kate was a bit stunned at Steve's reply. She had never known him to be like this. "You're trying undercover work again?" she asked, changing topics.

"The false name sort of gives it away," Steve retorted.

"I was wondering if we could try and work together on our cases," she finally said. "I help you with yours and vice versa,".

"You've got to be joking," Steve scoffed. "Me help AC-12 out after everything that's happened. Who put you up to this? Dot?".

"Dot?" Kate said in surprise. She hadn't heard his name in a while. Steve obviously had no idea what had happened since he had departed.

"I presume you're his partner now?" Steve went on. "Looks like it was a good move. Got a promotion out of it," he said snidely. He hadn't missed the fact she was now a DS.

Kate wanted to slap Steve with the way he was behaving but she refrained. It was pretty clear she wouldn't be getting any help from Steve on this case.

"Tell him I said thanks but no thanks at your next meeting," Steve said before walking past her and back to the Edgeburrow officers.

Kate continued on her way to the rest rooms before locking herself in a cubicle and having a little cry. The mention of Dot had brought back all her memories of that horrible day that had unfolded in AC-12. She also cried for her broken friendship with Steve. She had no idea how to rectify that at all.

Gathering herself together she took a deep breath and rejoined her new colleagues. Steve continued to give her a wide berth and Kate watched in dismay as Steve downed pint after pint and gradually got more drunk. Her dismay turned to disappointment and anger as Steve then drunkenly chatted up a girl before snogging her face off. He had obviously not learned one single lesson after the Lindsay debacle. Maybe the gaffer had been right to do what he did after all.