What Could Have Been

By Mistreated and Forgotten

Summary: [Josh and Grace] Another what if Grace didn't die.

Spoilers: Episode 10/11.

Pairings: Josh and Grace, Grace and Connor (a little bit).

Disclaimer: I don't own Rush or any of the characters and if I did the one who died in Episode 11 would've been different.

A/N: Okay so here's my new fic and I threw in a little evil Connor just for you lot over at the Rush forum.

What Could Have Been – Mistreated and Forgotten

Chapter One

Grace had been released from hospital after the explosion that had fatally injured teammate Dom, so now she was in the car on the way home.

Grace was felling a little nervous because she realised when she was in the hospital that she had to tell Connor that she loves Josh. Cause if something were to happen to her she didn't want to die having not told Connor.

"Connor?"

"Yeah."

"When we get home there's something I need to tell you."

"Why can't you tell me now?"

"I think it will be better if I tell you at home."

"Okay."

The pair were quiet for the rest of the trip home.

What Could Have Been – Mistreated and Forgotten

Connor pulled up out the front of their house and turned off the engine, they got out and walked inside the house. After walking in the front door they walked into the lounge room and sat down on the couch.

Grace turned to face Connor, she couldn't look him in the eye, "Connor it's hurting me to say this, I'm sorry but I love Josh."

Connor was eerily quiet and he was starting to scare Grace with the evil possessed look he had on his face.

"Connor please say something."

Connor did something that Grace would never have expected him to do, he hit her, not just a slap but he full on decked her, hitting the side of her nose and just under her right eye.

If Grace thought she was scared before when he was quiet she was most definitely scared now, scared of this new side to Connor she had never seen before.

Connor got up of the couch and was about to storm out the room but before he did so he said "When I get back I don't want you to still be here."

With that he left the house and sped off in the car.

Grace sat there for a while shocked as to what had just happened.

What Could Have Been – Mistreated and Forgotten

Grace looked in the mirror in the bathroom, she picked up the wet cloth from the sink and washed off the drying blood off her face. After placing the cloth back in the sink she looked back into the mirror and could see a bruise starting to form. Grace turned away from the mirror and walked out into the bedroom to pack her stuff.

Grace got a bag out of the cupboard and took her clothes out and placed them in the bag.

What Could Have Been – Mistreated and Forgotten

By the time Grace had finished packing all the clothes she would need for several days and called a cab it had started to rain.

So now Grace was standing in the lounge room near the window with her bag on the ground next to her.

A couple of minutes later a car pulled up outside, Grace looked out the window to see if it was the cab or Connor, luckily it was the cab.

Grace picked up her bag and walked out of the house, on her way out she picked up her keys which were on the table next to the front door and walked out, shutting the door behind her.

What Could Have Been – Mistreated and Forgotten

A car sped through a stop sign and halfway across the intersection and was hit by another car.

The driver of the other car was alright and got out to see if the other person was okay.

The driver looked through the window, he couldn't see the face of the driver only the back of his head. What he could see was that the driver had badly hurt his leg and was trapped in his car. He also noticed that the driver was facing the passenger's seat where his wallet lay open. A photo of a woman with long blonde hair and brown eyes was next to a drivers license, it was Connor's.

What Could Have Been – Mistreated and Forgotten

The cab pulled up out the front of Josh's place, Grace paid the driver and got out taking her bag with her and with that the driver took off.

In the few seconds of so that Grace had been standing outside Josh's place she was getting soaked by the rain which was pouring down, so Grace walked up to the front door and knocked on it. Grace wasn't standing there long before Josh answered the door and was shocked to see her standing there with the beginnings of a bruise and carrying a bag.

Josh silently walked up to Grace, took her bag off her and carefully wrapped an arm around her shoulders then led her inside out of the cold and rain.

Josh went and put Grace's bag in his room then walked back out into the lounge room where he left Grace.

"Let's go get you out of these wet clothes and into a hot bath, okay?"

Grace nodded her head so Josh walked her into the bathroom where he began to fill up the bath for Grace.

"I'll be in the lounge room if you need anything," said Josh as he backed off towards the bathroom door.

"No, stay," said Grace in a voice that was that quiet it was almost a whisper.

"Okay."

Grace began to get out of her wet clothes but was having trouble pulling her shirt off over her head.

"Here let me help you with that," said Josh as he helped Grace pull her shirt over her head.

"Thanks," replied Grace who then continued to get undressed.

Grace got in the bath while Josh turned off the water and then sat down on the bath mat on the floor.

"Grace what are you doing to yourself, you were in an explosion a couple of days ago and now this," said Josh as he gently touched Grace's cheek.

"I don't know guess I'm just a little unlucky right now."

What Could Have Been – Mistreated and Forgotten

After her bath Grace had changed into her pyjamas and was now sitting on the couch with Josh in his lounge room.

"It was Connor."

"I figured as much, why did he hit you?"

"Because I told him I'm in love with you. He was quiet and I was starting o scare me =, I asked him to say something and then he hit me," a solitary tear rolled down Grace's cheek.

Josh as silent while he waited for Grace to continue sensing that she had more to say.

"I know that in our line of work we have seen our fare share of this sort of stuff but I never thought that Connor would ever hit me but he's my husband he is supposed to care about me not hurt me," said Grace who then began to cry.

"It's okay you're with me now," said Josh as he pulled Grace into his arms and let her cry into his shoulder.

Josh held Grace until she calmed down and when she did he still held her in his arms but not quite so closely, "I'm getting hungry so I'm going to go into the kitchen and make us something to eat."

"Okay, I'll just sit here for a bit."

Josh let go of Grace and got up off the couch then walked into the kitchen.

What Could Have Been – Mistreated and Forgotten

Later that night after dinner they sat on the couch and watched TV, the news was on.

"The lawyer of the man responsible for the bombings that killed police officer Sergeant Dominic Wales and injured Senior Constable Grace Barry has told the public that his client will be pleading insanity when he appears in court at a later date."

Josh grabbed the remote and changed the channel not wanting to have to put up with watching that particular news report then wrapped an arm around Grace.

"You didn't have to do that because of me you know."

"I know but I've been doing that as soon as anything to do with the bombing comes on TV I've changed that channel."

A little while later while watching the TV the phone rang, Josh got up off the couch to go answer it.

"Hello?"

"Josh, it's Lawson, do you know where Grace is?"

"Yeah she's here at my place."

"Can you put her on the phone?"

"Yea sure just hold on a minute."

Josh walked back over to Grace and held out the phone for her, "It's Lawson, he wants to talk to you."

Grace grabbed the phone off Josh "Hello."

"Grace I've been trying to get a hold of you. A call came in a couple of hours ago, it's Connor he's been in a car accident."

A/N: Let me know what you think. = )