With a sigh, Steve rolled over for the umpteenth time. He was in bed trying to sleep after his night shift but wasn't having any luck. His brain just wouldn't shut off and relax, too busy thinking about Tom and Jackie.
Tom had done as Steve had suggested and gone downstairs to see his wife. Steve and Kate had looked on as both Tom and Jackie apologised and made up. They were going to give their marriage another go.
Steve was now wondering if he could be as brave as Tom and forgive Kate and get their friendship back on track. If she'd have him of course.
"Do you think she'll take me back after everything I've done? Tom's question from earlier kept playing in Steve's head. Would Kate forgive him? He'd been pretty horrible to her since she'd arrived at Edgeburrow.
With a huff, Steve got out of bed and headed downstairs recognising sleep wasn't going to be imminent. He headed for the kitchen and flicked on the kettle intent on making himself a cup of hot chocolate. Stirring the powder and hot water together, Steve caught sight of the USB Kate had given him the other day. He'd tossed it aside as soon as he'd got home but now it was calling him. Maybe he should read it, he thought. She obviously thought it was important that he did.
Drink in hand he wandered through to the living room where his lap top lay discarded on top of the coffee table and powered it up. He inserted the USB and soon was reading Kate's report.
Oh shit! Steve thought to himself as he finished reading it. He'd been a complete idiot he realised. Kate's betrayal wasn't as great as he had thought. She hadn't totally ignored what Steve had been saying about Dot and had gone to another anti-corruption unit to get a thorough investigation of him and every member of AC-12.
She'd taken the findings to the gaffer and the two had worked together to prove Dot was The Caddy. Kate had sustained her broken ribs trying to bring Dot to justice as he tried to flee. That was how she had got her promotion.
Apparently Dot had been trying to convince her and the gaffer that Steve was The Caddy but in her conclusion, Kate had totally exonerated him.
Steve sat back and turned the lap top off. So if he remembered what had set the beginning of their falling out off correctly, it would seem the only thing she was mad with Steve about was the fact he had lied to her about what exactly had gone on between him and Lindsay in that bedroom. And he couldn't really blame her for that. He himself was angry at how he had behaved. It wasn't his finest moment.
He was going to have to apologise profusely.
Their shift that night was very busy and he didn't really get a chance. Sorting out drunk and disorderly people was the main theme of the night. The first call was to a drunken brawl at pub closing time.
"Alrigh' darlin'?" the first drunk of the night asked Kate as she approached with Steve.
"Alright," Kate replied. "What's going on here then?".
"Just a little disagreemen'," the drunk slurred.
"Doesn't look little to me," Kate retorted, taking in the facial cuts and bruises of both the man talking and his sparring partner.
"Why than' you," the happy drunk replied. "I've had many a woman say the same," pleased with himself that he had managed to get some innuendo into the conversation.
Kate rolled her eyes. "Come on," she said as she helped the man to stand. "Let's get you back to the station and you can sleep it off,".
"You're beautiful," the drunk said when Kate's face was close enough to smell all the alcohol on his breath.
"Thanks," Kate replied. This was a compliment she wanted to forget.
"You're lucky mate," the drunk said to Steve who was tending to the other man, "getting to work with this every day. Don't know how you can keep your hands off her," he continued as he gave Kate's arse a squeeze.
"Oi, mate!" Steve said. He'd caught sight of the grope Kate had just received. "Hands off yeah?" He said, surprising Kate with an unexpected show of protectiveness, just like old times.
"Oops sorry!" The drunk replied. "Didn't realise I was steppin' on your toes," he apologised.
"You're not!" Steve replied quickly. He didn't want Kate thinking he was overbearing. Kate meanwhile took Steve's quick dismissal as a sign she was wrong about it being like old times.
The second drunk of the night was an angry drunk. He'd been off with Steve and Kate ever since they'd arrived on the scene and Kate could tell the man was pressing Steve's buttons with his lack of respect.
"Right that's it!" Steve said clearly annoyed as the man took a piss against the back door of the patrol car, "I'm arresting you for public indecency,".
"You've gotta be fuckin' kidding mate!" the drunk angrily replied as he zipped himself back up. "Arrested for taking a piss? You're taking the piss!" he continued as he got up close to Steve's face and pointed a finger angrily at him.
"I'm not!" Steve retorted. "You do not have to say anything and anything-" Steve started to read the man his rights but stopped to avoid a fist hitting him in the face as the man lashed out in anger at the officer who dared arrest him.
Luckily his moves were slowed thanks to the alcohol intoxication and despite being bigger than Steve, Steve soon had him pressed against the patrol car. Kate noted it just happened to be the same spot where he had just relieved himself.
"-you do say will be written down," Steve picked up reading the man his rights after the little kerfuffle, "and used against you in a court of law," Steve finished whilst cuffing his prisoner's hands behind his back, Job done!
"What a night!" Kate said at the end of their shift. Her and Steve were in the locker room putting some stuff in their lockers before heading home for a well earned rest.
"Yeah. I'm exhausted," Steve said. The busy shift and not much sleep the day before had caught up with him.
"At least it's the end of nights for a bit," Kate said as she closed her locker door and padlocked it. Putting her coat on she headed out of the room. "See you next shift," she said.
"You fancy getting breakfast?" Steve asked just as Kate's hand touched the door handle.
Kate paused. This show of friendship was very unexpected. Was he being genuine? Only one way to find out. "Full English?".
"Of course," Steve answered with a smile, relieved his offer had been accepted. He hoped it was because she wanted their friendship back as much as he did rather than the promise of food that had made her agree. Her love of fried breakfast was almost as legendary as her love of curry.