Review replies:

Charra Loon - Yeah, I'm definitely happy to do something MOTP related! I couldn't really think of anything that took place between cases since they led onto each other so well, and I didn't really want to just do a case fic, so this is what ended up being written! Hope you enjoy this!

Guest - I reckon I could do that. Duncan Young was a fun character for his arc and I enjoyed the impact his secret had on Amy, so that would be fun to explore. Maybe I could write his final interrogation scene from her perspective...

Disclaimer - I do not own Criminal Case in any conceivable way. I own my OCs, but that's literally it.
Warning - Spoilers for the ending of MOTP in the very first sentence below! Don't read any further unless you are prepared to accept that!

Three months had passed since the death of Justin Lawson, and the city of Concordia was finally returning to a state of relative peace. I made my way calmly through the city streets, grateful for the fact that I had decided to stay behind in Concordia to keep an eye on things since the others had left for various overseas holidays. "Ranger Joshua!"

I turned, smiling at the milkman who had greeted me. "Good to see you, Chester. I haven't seen you since I investigated Judge Takakura's murder four months ago. How's the business?"

Chester smiled warmly. "Business has honestly never been better! With Lawson and his cronies dealt with, people are finally feeling free to order milk again, just like the old days, and they're even ordering more than they used to! It's like they're making up for the length of time that they spent not being able to afford to purchase milk whenever they wanted"

I smiled warmly. The milkman was a good person, despite the things that he had done in the past, and I was glad to see that things were improving for him. "That's fantastic. I'm really glad to hear it".

After making polite conversation with the milkman for a further few minutes, he said goodbye to me, telling me that he had to continue his rounds, as there were still numerous other people wanting deliveries of milk, and he couldn't bear the thought of letting any of them down. After we had parted ways, I made my way further through the streets of Capitol Peak towards a small graveyard behind the nearest of the district's two local churches. A young red-haired woman was already standing in front of one of the gravestones, her head bowed solemnly as she stared down at the grey stone in front of her. The sound of her soft sobbing filled the quiet air of the graveyard, and I couldn't help but shed a tear of my own as I approached her, knowing full well who had been buried in that grave. "Maddie".

The red-haired woman turned, a gentle smile flickering across her face as she saw me. She shifted her arms slightly to ensure the baby in her arms was comfortable. "Joshua. How are you?"

"I'm good. Or at least as good as can reasonably be expected. How are you and George?" I replied.

"Recovering. It's… It's been a hard few months".

I smiled briefly. "I can imagine. Charlie was an important part of all our lives. Losing him was rough for us all. But nowhere near as difficult as it would have been for you and George, of course. I mean you two were… You were the most important people in his life. Even though we lost him so soon after George was born, that can't change what Charlie felt".

She smiled sadly, raising a hand to wipe the tears from her eyes. "Thank you. I think that helps, in a way".

"You're welcome. I know it's hard, but I swear it will get easier".

She shifted slightly to ensure her son was comfortable, then sighed again. "You talk like you're familiar with this kind of thing… with losing someone close to you, I mean. If you don't mind me asking, what happened?"

I paused to consider the question she had just asked me. "Of course, I don't mind you asking, Maddie. We've solved so many cases together there's honestly no-one I'd feel more comfortable talking to about this. I lost someone close to me, yes. My sister was a nurse at a major hospital in London. She was younger than me by about five years, and she was honestly my best friend. I was a detective with Scotland Yard at the time, and one night we got a call that there was a major hostage situation at the exact hospital she worked at. We got most of the hostages out, but she was shot in the chest before we could take down the criminals. She died in my arms".

She looked taken aback. I got the feeling that that was something she wasn't expecting to hear. "Oh. Josh, I'm… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stir up bad memories for you".

I sighed. "That was about three years ago. I resigned from Scotland Yard a couple of days after that and left London for Italy. Spent a couple of years travelling Italy and taking in all the sights I could before coming to the realization that I missed police work and deciding to come to Concordia. I still miss her every day, and I always will, but I've learnt not to dwell on her death. Instead of letting her death cause me to stop functioning, I just use her death as motivation to take every single criminal I can down".

"Wise words" the woman said softly.

"Yes".

A cool breeze blew through the graveyard, causing the both of us to shiver. "Maddie?"

She looked at me, nodding curiously. "Yes?"

"It's probably just going to get colder from here. I saw a small café nearby; do you maybe want to go and get a warm drink? I know George would appreciate the warmth. And we can continue talking about our memories with Charlie".

She smiled, a genuine smile on her lips for the first time in a long time. "I'd like that, Josh".

As the two of us left the graveyard and headed towards the café I had seen earlier, I allowed myself a slight smile. It was going to take a long time, but Maddie would be able to move past her husband's death. And she'd be a stronger person because of it. And if I had my way, I was going to be there to help her for as long as I possibly could. That's what partners were for, after all.

Possible new pairing of MOTP Detective/Maddie? Maybe! I'm saying nothing though.

Songs for this update:
American Pie, by Don McLean
Who Painted The Moon Black, by Hayley Westenra