Kate had stayed behind at AC-12 helping Ted get his office back in order whilst Steve led a team and arrested PC Johnson. An ANPR camera had picked the red Sierra up on a street near Steve and Kate's house and he was arrested as he loitered around their address.
Steve took great delight in informing him that Kate was a police officer trained in undercover work when she wasn't on maternity leave and had easily led them to him.
He confessed to following Kate and admitted she would have been his next victim. He'd fixated on her when she had got out of her car on the high street in front of him. Her lean legs on display in the athletic leggings she had been wearing. Turned out all the suspects had been picked out because of their legs. He admitted it was sort of a relief to have been caught as his attacks were becoming more violent.
With him safely behind bars, Steve was able to take his family home knowing they were safe. Bonnie was given extra treats for her help in catching the suspect once they were home. Ava was told off for her stunt with Ted but soon forgiven when she called Steve "Dada" again. Her rabbit ears stayed on her head far longer than the reindeer antlers had, but once she fell asleep with the sheer exhaustion of her day Kate was able to remove them with out any trouble.
Kate was happy to finally be sharing her bed with Steve again now his case had finished. That night they slept in each others arms, Steve's hand resting protectively on Kate's abdomen as he did so, shielding his youngest child from any harm.
"Hi," Kate said as Mark opened the door. "Is he ready?". He was Josh, and Kate had come to collect him for the weekend.
"Josh!" Yelled Mark up the stairs. "Your Mum's here!".
"Coming!" yelled Josh down the stairs.
"Actually Kate, do you want to come in?" Mark asked. "There's something I need to talk to you and Josh about,".
"Oh. Ok," Kate replied as she turned and locked the car remotely before stepping inside the house. It was weird being back in her old house. It had been redecorated to remove any trace of her but there were still some things she recognised.
"Fuckin' hell, are you pregnant again?" Mark asked as Kate walked past him.
Kate hadn't told him or Josh her news. She had intended to tell Josh this weekend as she was now past twelve weeks and everything looked ok with the baby.
She was at the stage where her body was beginning to change. That awkward bit where no one knew if she was pregnant or putting on weight. Steve told her she looked great whenever she moaned to him but he was lying and now she had proof.
"It was a bit unexpected but yes," Kate admitted.
"Your tits are massive," Mark said.
"Hi Mum!" Josh said, interrupting his parents. Kate had been about to say something about Mark's comment but held her tongue.
"Hey you," Kate said as she gave her eldest child a hug. "Been good?".
"Yes," Josh replied. "What are you doing here?".
"Your dad wanted to talk to us about something before we head off," Kate said as she took a seat on the sofa. Josh sat next to her. Kate guessed this talk was going to be either Mark was having a baby with Jill or he was getting married. Either way she wasn't concerned. She was very happy with Steve. "What's this all about, Mark?".
"Well, you've got on with your life, Kate, so I thought it was about time I did the same," her ex-husband started. Kate knew she had guessed right. "Me and Jill are moving,".
"Where to?" Kate asked, expecting a bigger house somewhere else in the city.
"Manchester," Mark said.
"Manchester?!" Kate said. That was two hours away by car. Just as she was starting to rebuild her relationship with her son, he was going to be moving away. There was no way she was going to be able to see him as frequently as she did now if they lived that far away, especially with two very young children.
"Jill's got a promotion, and I've managed to get work there as well,".
"Congratulations!" Kate said sarcastically.
"No one told me!" Josh said, starting to get upset.
Kate looked at Josh and then at Mark. "You haven't told Josh yet?" she asked, incredulously as she took her son in her arms. This wasn't how you told a child this news.
"Thought it would be good to tell you together," Mark said.
"Idiot!" Kate snapped.
"I don't wanna go," Josh said.
"We'll that's up to you, Josh. You are probably old enough to make your own mind up. Come and live with me and Jill or stay here with your mum and Whatshisname and two crying babies. Your choice,".
"Two?" Asked Josh.
Kate stared daggers at Mark. This was not how she had planned on telling Josh her news at all. "Yes. Me and Steve," she said, making extra sure to pronounce his name in front of Mark, "are having another baby. I was going to tell you this weekend, but it looks as if your father has beaten me to it,".
"Can we go now?" Josh asked his mum.
"Of course," Kate said as she helped Josh get his things and leave.
The journey to the house was unusually quiet. Neither Josh nor Kate feeling particularly chatty after Mark's bombshell.
"You ok?" she asked eventually. Josh didn't say anything. "It's ok not to feel ok, you know," she told her son. "Your dad shouldn't have told you his news like that,".
"I don't know what to do," Josh said.
"Well no one is expecting you to make a decision right now. You need to think about what is best for you," Kate advised.
"I'm going to upset someone though, aren't I?" Josh said.
""Well let me and your dad worry about that. As long as you're happy Josh," Kate said. "That's all I care about,".
Steve was feeding Ava when the pair walked in the house and he knew something wasn't quite right as soon as they did. Instead of greeting Steve, Bonnie and his baby sister like he usually did whenever he stayed over, Josh went straight up the stairs to his room.
Bonnie realised her best friend was upset and went upstairs to comfort Josh as Kate made her way to the kitchen.
"You two had an argument or something?" Steve asked as he fed Ava a spoonful of food. She was clearly enjoying the meal as most of it was over her face.
"No," Kate replied as she kissed her daughter on the top of her head avoiding the mess on her face.
"Then what's wrong?" he asked. He didn't expect Kate to burst in to tears and neither did Ava who looked at her mother very concerned.
Steve quickly put Ava's dinner down and enveloped Kate in a hug.
"Mark's gone and ruined the whole fucking weekend," Kate said through her tears. "Decided to tell me and Josh that he's moving to Manchester with Jill in September. Why he had to do it now I don't know. Couldn't he have waited until I dropped him back?".
"And what's Josh going to do?" Asked Steve.
"Well he's old enough to decide for himself apparently," Kate replied getting upset again. "He found out the news with me and now is worrying over the decision he has to make,". Steve didn't know what to say so just kept holding Kate. "He won't pick me because Mark decided to drop in to the conversation that I was pregnant,".
"I didn't think you'd told him yet,".
"I hadn't," Kate said. "My tits are massive apparently which gave it away," she continued, quoting her ex-husband. "Told you they had grown," she groused, but stayed where she was in Steve's arms.
Steve felt a vibration in his jeans pocket as his phone rang. Removing one arm from around Kate he fished it out and looked at the screen. It was someone form his football team calling. Answering the phone, Steve stepped away whilst Kate turned her attention to Ava. She was banging on the plastic tray in front of her in protest at the lack of food heading her way. Kate picked up the bowl Steve had discarded and recommenced her feeding. Her daughter really liked her food.
"Kate?" Said Steve as he entered the kitchen again having finished his call. "Do you think Josh would like to play some football over the weekend?" he asked. "Our junior five-a-side team is down a player. Might take his mind off things,".
Kate thought about Steve's suggestion. "Maybe," she decided. "Why don't you go and ask him,".
