I am going to hugely apologise because I dread think how long it has been since I last updated this. Also this is a bit of a crap chapter and it mainly follows the lines of what happened in the show.

Chapter 6

"Boss," Rachel began whilst she knocked on the open door; Rachel didn't want to waste a second. "Sorry, have you got a minute?"

"This is DS Latham from the National Police Improvement Agency." Gill answered introducing the young pregnant woman who had just wondered into the DCI's office, which was becoming increasingly cramped.

"Sarge." Rachel acknowledged finally taking in the beautiful man stood in front of her.

"DC Bailey." Gill observed the situation very carefully, her jealousy getting the better of her.

The Sargent stood up greeting the young woman with a smile and more informal "hi" before shaking her hand and offering the woman his chair.

"Hi." The DC breathed.

"What you got?" Gill asked knowing that this was the last place Rachel would want to be.

"I think I know who it is."

"Close the door." Gill commanded.

Rachel tried to jump up and do it but Chris quickly ushered her back into the seat and carried the task out before the detective began her story of how she found Geoff Hastings to be the killer. "He invited me in for a brew; I don't know why I went really, I don't normally take tea with strange men, but I didn't think he was strange. I felt sorry for him. He seemed like he wanted to talk and I thought I find out more about Veronica. So, we were talking and it turns out he's lived a very nomadic kind of existence. I did some digging this morning, when I was supposed to be doing something else." Rachel paused for a moment to guiltily look up at Andy, who she knew wouldn't be happy that she hadn't fulfilled the tasks he had set the DC. "And obviously I haven't had time to dig up tons but, he worked for this haulage company in Sheffield for a while, there was a calendar, so I called them. He was on a job in Eastbourne two weeks before Tracey Dickson's body turned up. East Bourne's what, it's twenty minutes away from Bexhill? And he was on a job in Sunderland a week before Alice Doers' body turns up in 1997. The other thing is: the news agents he works at is on the route Lynn is most like to have gone from her place of work to Chaddy swimming baths. Now I know we've looked at the CCTV of her route back from the pool to her house but did we look at the CCTV of her journey there, not from her house, but from work? See if she goes in his shop every time she goes swimming then that could be the nodding acquaintance that the profiler has told us about. He's insidious, this fella. Andy knows; he's met him. Last night without really thinking about it I told him where I lived, that I fell out with my baby's father, that I've never got on with me mother and that my sister's a touchy feely, left wing twerp: my whole life story. " Rachel exploded, breathless in the haste to get out the information.

"Let's get on to any CCTV of Lynn's journey to the pool." Gill instructed.

"Pick him up?" Her DS questioned.

"No, no yet, but get someone to draw up an arrest strategy for me, not Rachel: I need her. " Gill said as Rachel left the office taking out her phone in preparation to ring Janet.

"You are not going to believe this!" Rachel practically shouted down the phone, she swayed on her feet a little in the excitement but quickly steadied herself not wanting to harm herself, or her little girl.

"What?" She heard the voice of her best friend back down the phone.

"It's Geoff!" Rachel exploded.

"What's Geoff?" Janet queried.

"He's only looking like a knocking bet as being involved with Lynn and the last two on Tom Walter's list. I mean did nobody question him over Veronica?" Rachel listed for a reply but received none. "Janet?" The anxiety in Rachel's voice was rising and the silence continued. "Janet?" Suddenly the young detective could hear commotion in the background and what sounded like cried. "JANET?" Rachel shouted.

"He's cut me, Rach, and he's got a knife."

That was all Rachel needed to hear and she sped off towards Gill's office. "BOSS! He's there. He's at Janet's house and he's got a cut her."

Andy leapt out of the office.

"I'm coming." Rachel demanded whilst the DCI reported the information.

"You stay in that car if there is any inkling that Geoff Hastings is still in that house, you hear me?" Rachel nodded in conformation as she ran towards the car park. Everything else emptied from Rachel's mind. She didn't care about anything but her best friend. Her heart was pumping and every bone, every muscle in her body felt like it was on fire, trying desperately to stop her.

The car screeched away. But regardless of their speed nothing felt fast enough, each officer in that car knew that every second would count so they raced through traffic lights in an attempt to get there just that little but quicker.

The brakes let out an almighty sound as they reached Janet's house. Rachel didn't let a second to spare as she clamoured out the car as fast as she could. Nothing but Janet mattered to her now. The young detective's feet pounded against the ground in the sprint to come to her friend's aid.

As she turned the corner she saw Janet. She could see her. She was alive. Part of her felt so relieved. "Jan" Rachel screamed. There was blood and lots of it. Rachel ran into the house and propped Janet against her. Held her in her arms, they were in their own world. Rachel pressed her cheek into Janet's head, mothering her, like she had done so many times for Rachel.

Janet couldn't move, she could barely breathe. She could feel the beating of Rachel's heart in her ear and the kicks of her baby against her back. It felt so natural. But her fears chocked up inside her. "Don't let them put me on a slab, not naked. I'm not having a post mortem. Promise me, Rach." The breathlessness in her voice was increasing but she managed those words, they felt so important to her, so necessary.

"You're not gunna die you silly buggar; if you die I'll fucking kill ya." Rachel whispered. Her voice was tense and saturated with anxiety. She tried to keep the tears that were rapidly forming back, knowing they wouldn't help.

"Say it." Janet half pleaded, half demanded.

"Come on!" Andy shouted as he took Janet from Rachel's clasp.

Once Rachel was in the car she received Janet again. The wounded detective's head again rested on the bump that housed Rachel's unborn baby. The young officer was terrified; you could see it in her eyes: they were filled with terror. She draped her arms around her partner, protecting Janet in any way she could. Rachel looked up and shared an anxious glance with Gill. Things weren't looking good. Rachel suddenly questioned Janet, "Hey, I hope you twatted him back!" She whispered in her ear, her fingertips gently stroking Janet's arm.

"Yeah." But the words were barely managed and Janet was quickly drifting off.

"Parted his hair for him…gave him a bloody headache." Rachel tried to joke but she wasn't even fooling herself."Jan?" Rachel anxiety grew with the lack of response. "I need you to stay awake, Janet. That's an order from me to you, mate. You've got to stay awake, please Janet." Rachel's pleas were helpless. Her tears finally began to roll down her cheeks. She held her friends head close to her chest, resting it on her ever growing stomach. She softly stroked Janet's hair as her tear drops fell.

The brakes screeched as they arrived at the hospital. They abandoned the car as Andy carried Janet in. The confusion of the situation was unnerving and before long the three police officers were made redundant.

~()~

Rachel gripped her stomach. She was scared. She was shaking. She needed to sit down but she couldn't. The cold wind stung her skin. Her eyes glanced over to the reception of the hospital where she watched Gill walk out. Rachel caught Andy's eye and they walked over to meet their boss.

"What?" Andy managed. He had spent the time motionless, staring at one fixed point.

"Nothing," Gill replied. "She's still in resus; they're prepping her for theatre."

"I wanna get out of these fucking clothes." Rachel choked as she motioned to her blood stained dress.

"Well you're just gonna have to wait – you're part of a crime scene." Gill paused and looked over to her DC; Rachel's skin was pale and she was shaking. Gill knew she couldn't let this continue. "Get yourself inside. You're in shock. We need to have you checked out." The DCI watched her young officer; Rachel's eyes were unblinking; spaced. "Rachel, listen to me: this is not your fault, kid."