Mark could hardly sleep that night. He had spent the night watching Verity wander around the apartment in a daze. He'd sat with her on the sofa and held a new ice pack against her cheek as she let the TV play some mindless drama in the background, the picture flickering and the volume shaky. They had ate dinner in relative silence. Verity had tried to make conversation, but Mark was quiet and pensive. He kept trying to picture Matthew Jacobson from when he had met him at the concert that evening. He kept imagining this boy trying to hurt Verity. She might be older than he was, but she was slight. Mark wasn't saying she was defenceless. He knew that she was able to stick up for herself. She could fight her own battles. What he was saying, however, was that she could be overpowered and if that boy had his way then Mark felt sick over what could have happened.

They'd gone to bed relatively early. Verity had showered and slipped into one of his t-shirts that he'd left at her apartment. She hadn't even bothered to pick up her book that she was reading. She slipped under the duvet and whispered a goodnight to him, back facing him. Mark sighed. He didn't want her to feel as though he was pushing her away. It wasn't her who he wanted to hurt. He laid down behind her and rolled onto his side, daring to inch closer until his front pressed to her back, arm moving around her waist and searching for her hand. She clasped hold of it tightly and he felt her body shake with sobs.

"It's alright, sweetheart," he whispered to her, kissing the back of her neck as he moved his other arm under her pillow. "I've got you."

"I don't want to be like this," Verity whispered into the darkness. Mark's bare chest radiated warmth against her back. "I just want to do my job…I just want to play…."

"I know," Mark said, breath hitting her neck as he nuzzled up against her. "Listen to me, Verity, I know what happened was scary and I can't begin to imagine how you felt…but he is not going to stop you from doing what you're good at because there are kids you tutor who adore you. They want your help. Those are the kids who make your job worth it. This asshole doesn't have the power to stop you doing what you love because you're better than he ever will be."

Verity continued to cry but she nodded her head. She knew that Mark was right. She wasn't going to let one boy have so much power over her life. She was stronger than that. She was stronger than he ever would be. She inhaled a sharp and shaky breath, doing her best not to let her sobs consume her. She rolled over then, burying her face against Mark's neck as he managed to wrap both arms around her and she held onto his arm.

"I'm sorry," she muttered.

Mark's brows knitted together. "Why the hell are you apologising?"

"Because this isn't what you signed up for. You didn't agree to take on my parents…Matthew…"

"I signed up for you, Ver," Mark replied, chin by her forehead and he felt her stroking his arm softly. "And you have nothing to apologise for. All of the other stuff…we will handle it. We will deal with it, but I am going nowhere. So don't you dare apologise to me because you…you are what I want."

Verity gripped him tighter. She had no idea how after just a month of dating he was able to make her feel so special. She felt loved. She felt like he was a safe place. She'd never had that before. She had never felt so comfortable around someone before. Closing her eyes, she relaxed slightly in his grip and he kissed her forehead.

"Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me," Mark said.

"I do," she retorted. "Because this…I've never had this before…felt this before…"

"Me neither, sweetheart," Mark confessed and he knew that he was falling quickly for her. "Get some sleep, okay? I'm not going anywhere."

She nodded her head and stayed resting against him, her eyes closed. He listened as her breathing softened and she slowly fell asleep. He kept her in his arms, but his eyes stayed open. He couldn't sleep. He felt too many emotions for him to relax. He knew that he had to go to work the next day and he was wondering just how he was going to be able to ask Eric exactly what he wanted to ask him without it being too obvious. He knew that he wasn't going to let Matthew get away with what he'd done. He would be subtle about it. He would keep his distance. But no one was going to get away with hurting Verity.

…

"You've been on edge since you've gotten back here."

Mark knew that. He'd been on patrol and was now back at the precinct. He was finishing up the reports he was writing before clocking off for the night. He was dressed in his blue uniform, police badge gleaming against his chest. He had been on patrol with Kerry that morning. Eric had been out with Tapp for a short while before coming back to the precinct. The two of them were sat in the bullpen, listening to the ringing of phones and the noise of pens scraping against paper. There was just the occasional clicking of a typewriter going.

"Yeah," Mark said with a nod of his head, fingers parting his locks of hair and tugging through it.

"What's going on?" Eric asked, chewing a piece of gun and looking relaxed. That was the thing about Eric. He never seemed on edge. He was only a year ahead of Mark, but it was like he ran the roost. He was going to move high in the force, Mark knew that. He was going to get to the top at some point. He had the required attitude and ability to make friends where necessary.

"You fancy a beer after work?" Mark asked from him.

Eric looked shocked, eyes widening. It was rare Mark asked anyone if they fancied a beer after work. He shrugged, trying not to make a big deal of it as he sensed there was something on his mind. "Sure," he agreed.

"Thanks," Mark said and he went back to his work in stoic silence. They finished writing up their reports and then went to the changing rooms. Mark stripped from his uniform into his jeans and a dark blue shirt with a long black coat. He walked with Eric to the nearest bar that most cops frequented after work.

He bought the man a whisky and he got himself a scotch. They found a table in the corner and Mark sat down, nursing the glass in his hands. Eric remained silent. They'd made small talk on the walk over to the bar, but it had felt relatively awkward. The noise of current pop music played out around the venue and the wooden floors were already sticky from dropped alcohol and disinfectant. There was a group of men in the corner playing darts and a handful dotted at the bar, but no one had really taken to the tables around the room.

"A kid Verity teaches tried to sexually assault her," Mark said, laying the conversation on the table. He sipped on his scotch then, refraining from tipping it down his throat.

Eric's eyes widened. "You're kidding me?" he asked and Mark shook his head.

"No," he said. "I got home last night and she had a bruised cheek. She said he claimed she'd been leading him on…flirting with him…kid made it up, of course, but he tried to rape her."

"Fuck," Eric whispered and left his own drink on the table, hands lacing together as he leaned closer to Mark. "What did his parents say?"

A dark chuckle escaped Mark at the question. He looked to Eric, his eyes filled with something the elder man could only describe as pure hatred. "His mother threatened to ruin Verity if she told anyone. Said that she'd spread a rumour that Verity had been seducing him…it would destroy her. No one would hire her to tutor their kids."

Eric was quiet for a little while, watching as Mark took another sip of his scotch, nursing the glass between his fingers and peering into its warm depths. Letting out a deep breath, Eric sat back, legs spread and hands going behind his head.

"And what is going through your mind?" Eric questioned.

"How wrong it is," Mark confessed. "This kid will get to go about his life like nothing has happened. Who knows what he'll do to a woman in the future? Verity's life could be ruined if she opened her mouth because we have no evidence of what he did and it's be his word against hers…and his word would win. In the meantime, my girlfriend is nervous to go to work because of him. She spent last night crying and apologising to me like she had to be sorry for anything. There's only one person who should be sorry and he never will be because his actions had no consequence."

Eric wondered if he'd ever heard Mark talk for so long. The anger in his voice was palpable. Eric got it. He knew that if anyone hurt anyone he cared for then he'd want revenge. He would want them to pay. He knew what it was like to be part of the law and then watch people go free on technicalities or because they had a lack of evidence. It was part of the job that upset him. He'd been there for two years and there had been times when he'd bent the rules slightly. He'd seen someone else do it and get away with it. A man who would have gone on continue robbing corner shops would have just carried on doing that, but now he was locked up. It was part of the job.

"It's shit," Eric said, knowing that he could offer Mark help, but he didn't know if he trusted him entirely just yet. He was new to the force. They got on well, but Eric didn't know if they got on that well just yet. Besides, no one knew what he had done. He'd kept it quiet. The crooks complained in court, but they would.

"I'm not an idiot," Mark said to Eric, looking him in the eye and hoping that there was a mutual understanding between the two of them. Mark knew what Eric did. He had heard rumours from Kerry. He wasn't blind either.

Eric shook his head. "You don't want to go down that road."

"Neither did you, but you have," Mark retorted.

"Not out of revenge."

"You're telling me you wouldn't do something if someone you loved was hurt?"

"I'm not saying that," Eric said with a shake of his head. "You're on probation, Hoffman. You've just started out. I don't want to see you ruin this…besides, you need to think of the optics. You'll be suspect number one."

"I'm not talking anything serious," Mark whispered. "Just enough to make sure he can't get into college and his family get brought down a peg or two."

Eric let out a deep breath and downed his drink. He wasn't going to let Hoffman do this. He was looking out for him. He knew that he was a good officer. He had talent and he would be decorated one day. Standing up, he moved a hand to Mark's shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze.

"You don't want to go down this path," Eric said to him. "If anyone found out then you'd have ruined everything…your career…and your relationship with Verity. Would she want you to be doing this?"

Mark knew the answer to that. He could still remember how she had clung onto him the night before and begged him not to go to Matthew's apartment. She'd begged him, the pleading clear in her gaze. Mark had given into her, of course. He wanted to make the kid suffer, but she came first. She would always come first. He finished his drink and stood up, heading to her apartment.

…

It wasn't Verity who answered the door when Mark arrived at her apartment. Janet was stood there instead, arms folded and dressed in a dark navy jumper and light blue jeans. She had sneakers on her feet and her blonde hair tumbling loose down her shoulders.

"We need to talk," Janet said and Mark's brows furrowed.

He dropped his duffle bag into the hallway before Verity came out from the bathroom. She was still wearing the clothes she'd gone to work in that morning. Her navy skirt swished down to her ankles and her white shirt was tucked into it. She had stockings on and was in the process of tying her hair back from her face.

"Hey," she greeted Mark and he looked to her uncertainly as Janet continued to glare at him.

"Hi," Mark replied and Janet shut the door behind him. "Did you want me to leave you to it?"

"Not at all," Janet answered, voice going back to being light and breezy as she swept back down the hallway and towards the living area. "I just dropped by for an impromptu visit. I was on my way to meet Robert for dinner and wondered if Verity might be in so that we could have a catch-up."

"Rehearsal was cancelled this afternoon so I came back early," Verity said and she finally pecked Mark on the cheek as a greeting as he wrapped an arm around her waist and embraced her tightly. "We were just having a drink and then I was going to start dinner."

"I'll cook," Mark said to her and she smiled softly before kissing him on the lips.

"And I most definitely will not cook," Janet called out as she grabbed her bag and coat from the living room. She shrugged into the long, brown mac and draped her leather bag in the crook of her arm. "I'm going to head down and meet my fiancé for dinner. Verity, don't forget we have the dress fitting on Saturday."

"I'm not going to forget. I'm more organised than you," Verity retorted and Janet rolled her eyes.

"Of course, darling," she said and she embraced her friend, looking at Mark over her shoulder. "Mark, would you be a dear and help grab me a cab downstairs. It's dark out and I don't like wandering alone."

Janet pulled away from Verity who then took her turn to roll her eyes. "You're not as subtle as you think, Jan," she said to her friend who shrugged her shoulders. "Just don't give him the inquisition and scare him away. Please?"

"I will say only good things," Janet promised and Mark wondered just what was going on.

Verity mouthed a 'sorry' to him as Janet took the lead, calling goodbye back to Verity and giving Mark no choice but to follow her out of the apartment after he threw one final confused look at Verity. He walked down the stairs behind Janet, listening to the clicking of her heeled boots as they came to the steps outside.

"She told me what happened," Janet said and Mark nodded once. "She said she won't go to the police."

"I can't force her," Mark said. "Besides, I know what's likely to happen. There's no evidence. It's a typical he said she said scenario and that means there is no chance the DA's office would touch it. I believe her and I know you do too. Anyone who knows her should know that she would never make something like this up…but that kid…his parents will protect him and she's scared of going up against them."

"And I get that," Janet replied. "But the fact is that they shouldn't be able to get away with this. She's been through more than enough…her parents…James…and now this. The police might not be able to get him for this, but there might be something else that we can do."

Mark arched his brow. Was Janet suggesting what he had been thinking? All Mark had wanted to do was plant something on the kid and have him arrested. That would have been enough to go against his Julliard application. Tilting his head to the side, Mark waited patiently for a moment, eyeing Janet up as she jutted her chin out, a forceful glare focused in his direction.

"What did you have in mind?" Mark asked.

"It's a matter for the police and it's enough to ruin the Jacobson family and that snot nosed kid would never get into Julliard."

"What is it?"

"Derek Jacobson is cheating on his wife with college students," Janet said and Mark's eyes widened. Was there no level of depravation that these people didn't sink to? "Robert said it's common knowledge, but what isn't common knowledge is that he's up to his eyes in debt…and he's taken out credit cards and loans in his wife's name. I suspect that might be a matter for the police."

"That's fraud," Mark confirmed with a nod of his head and folded his arms over his chest. "How did he get into debt? And how do you know this?"

"Robert said that he heard him on the phone while they were at some event together. Robert works in publishing and Derek is an academic. He's constantly trying to get in Robert's good books for his work to be published," Janet said. "I kept it quiet because Robert asked me to. He doesn't like getting involved in other people's business."

"But you do?"

"Usually no, but when someone threatens my best friend then I take exception," she said.

"And you didn't tell Verity any of this?"

"Because Verity would tell me not to get involved," Janet said. "She would tell me to leave it and she'd be annoyed that I didn't. But I'm not like her. I don't believe in letting things go. I don't think it's right and I have no issue with seeking vengeance. That kid doesn't deserve to go to college. His family would have ruined V's life and so they're just getting a taste of their own medicine."

"And you're telling me this on the basis that I won't go back inside and tell Verity?"

"I'm telling you this because she told me what you wanted to do last night. You wanted to go round there and sort this out. You only didn't because she asked you not to."

Mark kept stoic. His lips pursed and he eyed Janet with suspicion. He only hoped that this wasn't some kind of test he was supposed to pass.

"I agree with everything you said," Mark said. "But I wasn't going to risk Verity's reputation or livelihood."

"And I understand that," Janet replied. "But this way works for all of us. This way means that they wouldn't have a leg to stand on."

"And can you get the evidence?" Mark asked her.

"If I call it in then surely you can investigate, right? Isn't this how it works? You get a tip off and then go from there?" Janet asked and Mark nodded. He guessed that could work, especially if there was an actual crime and he wasn't having to set anyone up. "I'll do it anonymously and then it's up to the police from that point. Might be best if I don't come to you, right?"

"Some distance wouldn't hurt here," Mark agreed. "But you know that Verity will find out about this, don't you?"

"I know, but she won't stop us. If they even try and spread rumours about her after this then it will just look like desperation," Janet said. "And no one would believe them. I just want to know we're on the same page here."

"I think we might be," Mark said. "But I'm not keeping things from her."

He thought about what Eric had said to him earlier that night. He remembered how he had basically talked him out of planting evidence because Verity wouldn't want it. He wasn't going to ruin their relationship based on secrets.

"Tell her, but I am going ahead with this," Janet said. "Tomorrow morning, I will come by the precinct and speak to an officer."

"Alright," Mark said. "And the debt…why's he in debt?"

"He has affairs in fancy hotels and his wife buys things he can't afford," Janet said. "Money dries up and so has his inheritance. Being an academic is a good job, but it doesn't pay as well as he wishes it did."

"Hm," was all Mark responded with and Janet moved down the steps as she spotted a cab. She lifted her arm in the air and it pulled over to one side. Opening the door, she turned to look to Mark and eyed him cautiously.

"Look after her," Janet warned him.

"Trust me, I'm not going anywhere and I'm not going to hurt her…especially now I know what you're capable of," Mark said and Janet smirked, winking once at him and then slipping into the backseat of the cab.

Mark headed back towards the apartment and found Verity in the kitchen, tidying away cutlery, dishes and glasses from the night before. She arched her brows in Mark's direction. "What did she want? To pick your brains and make sure that I am actually doing okay?"

"Yes and…" Mark trailed off and Verity's face scrunched up. He could keep it quiet. He knew that she would be annoyed when she found out, but they were really doing the right thing. If Derek Jacobson had committed a crime, then he should answer for it.

"And what?" Verity asked, putting away the two glasses.

"Just sit down for a minute, okay?" Mark asked and he held his hand out towards her.

"You're making me anxious," Verity said and she cautiously laced her hand into Mark's, allowing him to lead her towards the sofa. She sat down and Mark perched next to her, his hand still inside of hers.

"I told Janet that I wasn't going to keep things from you," Mark said. "I'm not lying to you or hiding things because I'm not going to ruin what we have."

"Now you're really freaking me out."

"It's fine," Mark assured her. "In fact, it's important and…I know that it looks like revenge, but it's actually a legal matter."

"Now you're talking in riddles."

Mark sighed. "Janet told me that Derek Jacobson is up to his eyes in debt," he finally said. "But worse than that…he's taken out loans and credit cards in his wife's name. He's committed fraud."

Verity's eyes widened. "How do you know that?"

"Janet said her fiancé overheard him on the phone," Mark said. "She's going into the precinct tomorrow and she's going to tip off an officer and then it'll get passed onto the relevant department who will investigate."

Verity was silent then. She looked down to her lap for a moment as Mark observed her, trying to figure out what she was thinking. It was almost impossible at that moment as she was like a closed book. He kept watching her, giving her time to come to terms with the news.

"And Janet has just decided to share this information?"

"I think we both know why she's coming forward with it now," Mark said and Verity gritted her teeth together, shaking her head. She pulled her hand out of Mark's and clasped her fingers together in her lap, looking straight ahead at the television set. "Ver, you can't blame her for wanting to protect you."

"I told her to leave it be."

"I get that, sweetheart, but the fact is that he is committing fraud here," Mark said. "You know, an actual crime…it's not like we're fighting a rumour with a rumour. There will be hard evidence and none of it will link back to you."

"If she knew that he was committing fraud then she should have reported it as soon as she knew and not waited until now," Verity said. "This feels like revenge and…I don't like it. I don't want drama, Mark. I don't want to be involved in anything."

"And you won't be," Mark assured her. "Him committing fraud has nothing to do with you."

"Really? And him being arrested two days after what happened with Matthew won't look suspicious? Especially when my boyfriend's an officer?" Verity checked and she stood up, pacing around the room. Mark ran his fingers through his hair and looked to the ceiling for a moment before he stood up and tried to stop her from wandering around, an arm going around her waist. Reluctantly, she let him encircle her into his grip.

"Ver, there are hundreds of cops in this city," Mark said. "And whatever happens…whatever Juliana Jacobson said to blackmail you…it won't happen because they'll have other things to worry about. Trust me, this won't come back to you. This will come back to Derek Jacobson being nothing but a criminal."

Verity let out a deep breath. She guessed that Mark was right. He had a point. It wasn't as if she'd have been able to find any of this out. They couldn't link it back to her and, if Derek was committing fraud, then he shouldn't be able to get away with that. Mark moved his hands to her cheeks, framing her face in his fingertips.

"I'm still annoyed with Janet for not telling me she was planning this."

"I get the feeling she wasn't exactly going to ask permission. She strikes me as the kind of person who would rather seek forgiveness than ask permission," Mark said and Verity's lips arched into a smirk at that as his thumbs roamed over her cheekbones.

"She doesn't do much asking for forgiveness either," she confirmed.

"She's loyal though. She just wants you to be safe…happy…did basically warn me downstairs that I shouldn't break your heart. I wouldn't dare after I've seen the dirt she can dig on people," Mark said and Verity wrapped her arms around his neck, holding onto him.

"And what dirt do you have buried, Officer Hoffman?" Verity questioned, feeling slightly better and more at ease. Mark had a calming presence. He was able to talk rationally and keep her calm. She needed that in her life. She needed someone who was unproblematic.

"Oh, just terrible, terrible secrets," Mark joked and bent down to peck her on the lips. "Things that would make a girl like you run a mile."

"Then you'd best keep them buried," Verity said, kissing him slowly once more as he brushed her hair behind her ear. "Because I quite like the man in front of me…wouldn't want to ruin that, would we?"

"My thoughts exactly," he retorted and let her kiss him once more.

…

Mark had kept an eye on Verity over the coming weeks. News had spread that Derek Jacobson had been arrested while at work. There had been short stories of it in the newspapers, but it was all New York society could talk about. Verity tried to avoid the topic when parents would ask her if she tutored Matthew and if she had known anything about what had been going on. She would politely say that she had no idea and she was just the piano tutor. Derek was on bail, but he was in serious trouble. The Jacobson apartment had to be sold. Bailiffs had apparently gone in. No longer was Juliana invited to functions. For all intents and purposes, the Jacobson family had become recluses.

"You know, we don't need to go tonight."

"You embarrassed to introduce me to your friends?"

Mark was wearing a smart black tuxedo, feeling slightly apprehensive. He perched at the end of Verity's bed as she shimmied into a green evening gown. His eyes widened as he noted the way the silk seemed to cling to her body and tumble to her feet. The dress was an off the shoulder number and she'd already pulled her hair into a bun at the nape of her neck.

"Wow," he breathed out as she turned to look at him, flapping her arms by her side.

"Will I do?" she wondered.

"You look stunning," Mark said without missing a beat.

"So definitely not embarrassed about introducing me to you friends?" she teased, arching a brow and looking back at him from the mirror as she put in a pair of simple diamond stud earrings.

"I'm more jealous that they'll get to spend time with you and I don't have you to myself," Mark said and Verity smirked, cheeks flushing. "But embarrassed? Never. I'm more concerned about what they're going to say to you. All I get down the station are taunts about how you're out of my league."

Verity rolled her eyes as she finished with her earrings and then turned to face him. "They enjoy winding you up?"

"All good natured," Mark said. "Not that it bothers me. I know we're good and that's all I care about."

"We're better than good, I hope," she scoffed and Mark nodded. "Anyway, we should get going. Do I need to bring anything?"

"I have my wallet with the tickets. It's a charity gala so I imagine the open bar only goes so far."

Verity laughed and Mark's lips arched. He stood up and helped her shrug into her coat. He slipped into his own coat before letting her lock up and drop her keys into the clutch bag. They headed to the main road and hailed a cab, giving the address of the hotel. They were silent on the drive there, enjoying the peace and quiet. Mark paid the fare when they arrived and helped Verity out of the cab.

Looking around as they entered the hotel, Mark scanned the faces of people wandering around Manhattan. He didn't spot the one that was looking intently at the pair of them and had followed them all the way from the apartment to the venue. That face remained hidden under a hood, eyes stalking the pair of them and blaming them for everything that had gone wrong in the last few weeks. But revenge was a dish best served cold.

…

A/N: Next chapter we have the gala! And finally we will see some of Mark's dark side come out! Please do let me know what you think!