Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

They couldn’t believe their luck. Two problems, eliminated in one.

One woman, the troublesome one, stirred and turned to the other. They were tied to two chairs, both out cold.

The second, dubbed annoying one, perhaps some instinct buried deep, turned towards her.

“What now?” a faceless voice asked.

“We ruin them”.

“Wake them, I want to see”.

“Boss”.

Water was thrown over the two women and they gasped awake.

Troublesome, as they dubbed, swore at them instantly.

“Bastards!”

“Now now. Plenty worse to come…why don’t you both look at each other and see why you’re both here”.

Troublesome looked to her left and the other woman, looked back.

“W-what the…”

“Now I’m afraid sweethearts, you won’t remember this. But the boss wanted to see you meet”.

Annoying looked at them, “I fucking will remember it” she snarled and struggled in her bonds, “let me out!”

“Tut tut…and I thought she would be more troublesome…still…”.

The women watched as the man approached, a gun in his hand.

“For now ladies, sleep…you’ve been missing for two weeks…let’s make it three” he pushed a button above their heads and the two looked at one another, trying to make sense of it all.

“Kate” one said.

“Lana” said the other before they fell back asleep.

ONE WEEK LATER

Steve looked at Hastings, “she’s alive?”

“She is…she has…Kate has no memory though. Doesn’t know who she is…where she’s been mind”.

“But she’s alive”.

Hastings nodded, “she’s alive”.

“Well, can I see her?”

Hastings smiled, “of course…she’s in interview room B”.

Steve moved towards the room, conscious that Kate wouldn’t know him but hoping, selfishly that she did.

Before announcing himself to her, he looked at her through the door. She had a grey tracksuit on, eyes were bloodshot, as though she’d been awake for the past three weeks.

He opened the door and she looked at him, eyes piercing into him.

“They said I’d get an action figure” she murmured.

Steve chuckled, “out of stock I’m afraid. Budget cuts”.

Kate nodded, “and you’re?”

“Steve. Steve Arnott. I work with you here at AC-12”.

“So they keep telling me”.

Steve moved to sit down and she looked at him quickly, “just sitting down”.

Kate shrugged, “fine”.

“So you can’t remember much at the moment then?”

“No. All I know is at 0700 hours I walked into this building. Been here ever since”.

Steve nodded and smiled slightly, “it’s good to see you mate”.

Kate shrugged, “I’d say the same but I don’t know you. Could murder a drink though”.

“Tea?”

Kate blinked, “tea?”

“Mmm, milk, sugar?”

Kate nodded, “if that’s what I like”.

Steve chuckled, “I’ll even rustle up a few biscuits too” before he stood and left the room. Hastings walked out of the side room and nodded at Steve, “anything?”

“Nothing Sir. She doesn’t remember me…it’s like you said, she’s got no memory”.

Steve caught a glimpse of Kate, staring at a bandage on her wrist, “she didn’t even know if she liked tea”.

ELSEWHERE

“LANA!”

She looked up and saw a tall man running towards her. He had fair, curly hair and he was bounding towards her like a dog to food.

She slowly stood and he gathered her into a tight hug, kissing her head he held her tightly, “Lana I’ve been so worried!”

Lana pulled free and looked up at him, searching for any recognition, something that made her know who he was.

“Boss!”

She turned and a man bounding towards her, “Boss!” he repeated.

“Danny she’s alive” the man said.

Danny moved to her, “when they said you failed to show up for your flight they got worried. Where’ve y’been boss?”

Lana looked at Danny and back at the man, “what’s happened? I-where am I? w-Who am I?”

Thom looked at Lana, sitting in an interview room and looking tiny despite the power she contained. She was his little firebomb. Going off at anything and defusing situations with her fingers.

But after admitting she didn’t remember anything, his firebomb was more of a sparkler and it had fizzled out.

After submitting to examination, the hospital discharged her into his care. Assuring him that her memory would return.

“Sir?”

Thom turned, “Helen. Hi”.

“I take it drinks are off?”

“Yeah” Thom blushed, “sorry just…” he looked back at Lana.

“I get it. You’ve got history” Helen smiled and looked at Lana, “what happened?”

“She was meant to go to Estonia three weeks ago only she never showed…parents haven’t seen her…then she just turned up outside this morning…”

Helen nodded, “want me to make her a cuppa?”

“Yeah actually, cheers”.

“Milk?”

“And sugar…Lana has a sweet tooth”.

Helen smiled slightly, “who would’ve thought an EXPO had a sweet tooth”.

Thom grinned, “Lana loves her sweets…convinced she hid a packet of Haribo in our bed once- sorry” he winced.

Helen patted his arm, “it’ll take a lot more than me to come between you and your Haribo loving EXPO” she left for the kitchen, leaving Thom to walk into the room Lana was being held.

Lana looked up instantly, “they said I’d get an action figure”.

“Afraid we’re all out…I think the last ones are in Danny’s car next to that nodding dog of yours”.

Lana nodded, “okay…And Danny was that other man?”

“Yeah that’s right. You’re his boss, Lana Washington”.

Lana nodded, “alright”.

Thom sat down and reached for her hands, “we didn’t leave it on good terms but these past few weeks Lana…Christ…I’ve been worried sick”.

Lana looked at his hands and slowly took one. She looked down at her wrist and saw a bandage.

“Your tattoo is still there” Thom teased, “I’ve got Helen making you a tea”.

“Do I know her?”

“No… she’s new. Recent posting”.

Lana nodded, “and I’m…”

“You’re an EXPO for the MET”.

“EXPO?”

“Explosives Officer. You disarm IEDs…go into dangerous situations and risk your life to stop bombs- although you’d explain it better than me”.

Lana nodded and looked at Thom, “but you’re not an EXPO?”

“No no…DCI now…”

“Wow”.

Thom blushed, “yeah…soon be a commissioner ey?”

“So we work together?”

“We do…we uh we’re also I mean, you’re my girlfriend. But I think we weren’t on good terms before you went missing”.

Lana nodded, “oh…”

“I mean, I don’t wanna end it”.

Lana smiled slightly, “what? Cause I’ve suddenly got no fucking memory?”

Thom laughed, “sounds like some of it is still there”.

Lana smirked, “yeah?”

“Yeah” Thom grinned, “if you’re swearing at me you’re definitely on the road to recovery”.

Lana nodded, “did they say when my memory was gonna come back?”

Thom shook his head, “no, but I’m hoping long enough that we could get ourselves back on track?” he rubbed her hand.

Lana looked at him, “I’d need to know why we were off track”.

“A lot’s happened…I don’t want to make you relive it for a bit…right now my priority is to find out what happened during those three weeks”.

Lana nodded and rubbed her wrist, she winced.

“Here” Thom said and gently untied her bandage, “see…that ol’ thing is still there”.

Lana looked at the tattoo and traced it.

Thom smiled, “I remember when I saw Nut with it…thought you pair had a relationship or something”.

“Nut?”

“A mate of yours” Thom said.

“Like Danny?”

“Yeah” Thom nodded, “taught you a lot…”

Lana nodded, “i-

“Sorry to interrupt. Two teas”.

Lana looked at the interruption.

“Hi Lana” she smiled, “I’m Helen. Recent transfer”.

Lana nodded, “tea?”

“Tea with milk and sugar” Helen smiled and put them on the table, “Danny’s outside”.

“Send him in” Thom said, “might help”.

Helen nodded and left the room, letting the young man from before, Danny, enter.

“Aright boss”.

Lana looked at Danny, “hello”.

“We’ve all been worried boss…well, we have, John is still off”.

“John?”

“Yeah the uh-“ Danny caught Thom’s look, “yeah just another EXPO, Hass sends his love- well I say love more of a nod y’know”.

Lana raised her eyebrow, “no…but I have lost my memory”.

Danny grinned, “true”.

Lana looked at the tattoo again, “i-i…”

Thom looked at her, “it’s alright…is going to be okay”.

Chapter Text

Kate looked around her flat, she stared at the fridge, full of photos of herself and a young boy.

“That’s Josh” the man called Steve said, “your son”.

Kate nodded, “son”.

“We’ve told him and Mark about you being found so they might pop over at some point, he’s seven”.

“Right…and I’m supposed to be what? Mum?”

Steve blinked, “well, yeah…”

Kate opened the fridge.

“I had to get rid of the food. It was going off but I can do a food shop for you” Steve said, “Gaffer found CCTV of you exiting a white van this morning of course it was abandoned and then burnt out later but we’re hoping to get some DNA from it”.

“Why?”

“Evidence”.

“Steve” Kate said and looked at him. She seemed to stare straight through, as though looking for something else inside him.

“Y-Yeah?”

“Am I in trouble?”

“No no…not in any trouble. Why do you ask?”

“Only, your Gaffer-

“Our Gaffer”.

“He looked like he didn’t trust me” Kate ventured, “like…he called me Kate as though he didn’t believe it”.

“That’s just him. We’ve both been working all the hours since you’ve been gone, hoping to find you and in the end, you found us. I think he’s just upset you had to come to us and not the other way round”.

“Oh well I’m so sorry. Next time I get kidnapped I’ll tell the kidnappers to fucking keep me a bit longer then shall I?”

Steve smirked, “that’s more like it”.

Kate looked at him and shrugged, “had to be said” she moved over to her sofa and stroked it, “this really where I live?”

“It is. You made me build that one FA Cup afternoon. We had fun”.

Kate picked up a cushion and sniffed it, “smells nice”.

“You like cleaning on your days off. So when it was my day off I spent it here giving your flat a clean, it kept me sane”.

“You cleaned your best mates flat?” Kate asked, “are we sleeping together?”

Steve went red, “I uh uhm, well we, I mean…I wanted to keep you stress free when you returned”.

“Held out a lot of faith for me returning then?”

“Course” Steve grinned, “never doubted it”.

Kate looked at him, “thank you…that’s a lot of faith to have in a person”.

“Well?”

“They’re gone. It’s worked a treat”.

“Good…good. Keep your eyes on them. We have plans. Keep your distance though, they cannot suspect”.

“Will do…”

The call ended and the man looked at the images of Kate Fleming and Lana Washington, “oh girls…it’s been too long since somebody taught you a lesson, you’re lucky I found you when I did”.

Lana woke up in an unfamiliar bed with a man beside her, snoring. Thom. The name swirled in her head as she tried to remember a feeling for him.

He was her boyfriend. Or was. Things had happened and she’d missed the part they broke up or didn’t.

Thom wasn’t very forthcoming about the reasons but she supposed, she had lost her memory and it wouldn’t do her any good to remember the bad.

Her parents had informed her they would be here today so maybe she might remember something about her life.

The tattoo on her wrist itched.

She glanced down at it and touched it.

“Lana?”

Lana turned and looked at him.

“You okay?”

Lana nodded and turned her attention to her wrist, “can I have a notebook?”

“Sure” Thom smiled and got out of bed, “beats your usual breakfast, want that notebook with a side of coffee or tea?”

Lana cracked a grin, “tea”.

Thom moved to her modest bookshelf and searched it before finding a diary, “er this might be helpful. It’s an old diary but you hate diaries” he handed it to Lana and pointed to a pen on her nightstand.

Lana grabbed the pen and waited for Thom to leave before opening the diary up.

Thom had been right, she did seem to hate diaries, this one was a year old at least, with nothing more than her name written.

LANA WASHINGTON, ‘WASH’.

She touched the writing and experimentally copied it underneath.

My name is Lana Washington. I am called Wash. Or Lana.

I am an EXPO.

I have a flat.

I work with a man called Danny.

We worked with a man called Nut.

I have a boyfriend?? Called Thom.

I have a tattoo.

“Lana?”

I have been missing for 3 weeks.

I like tea with milk and sugar.

I don't know why I can't remember.

“Lana?” a soft hand touched hers, “tea?”

Lana looked at Thom and he smiled softly at her, “keep writing what you know, it’ll help” he kissed her head, “I’m gonna grab a shower”.

“Thom?”

“Yeah?”

“W-What if I don’t get my memory back?”

Thom sat beside her and rubbed her arm, “let’s not worry about that”.

“But I have to worry! I’m a fucking EXPO I stop bombs! I can’t do that if I couldn’t even remember my fucking name!”

Thom rubbed her arm again, “well” he said, “it would certainly give me less heart attacks when you go towards a bomb I’ll give you that…but you’re my firebomb, and I’m sure you’ll get your memory back”.

Kate looked at the man sleeping on her sofa, she stared at him snoring before poking him awake.

“Sn-Kate!”

Kate glared, “you snore very loudly”.

Steve flushed, “sorry. You okay?”

“Tea…I don’t know where everything is”.

Steve nodded and sat up, rubbing his neck, “we’ll make it together. Gotta take you into AC-12 today for a look at some images”.

“Of a van I barely remember? Is that what AC-12 does? Asks pointless fucking questions?”

Steve looked at Kate as she sulked her way to the kitchen, “no we help too”.

“Doesn’t sound like it” she grumbled.

“Hey” Steve smiled and pulled her into his arms, rubbing her back, “your memory will return darlin’, promise…now, I’ll make the tea…why don’t you just sit down ey?”

Kate rested against him and gritted her teeth, “I need to make the tea…i-It’s my flat and I just want to make the fucking tea” she cried.
Steve rubbed her back and kissed her neck, “it’s okay…it’s okay…you make the tea okay?”

Kate nodded and sniffed, wiping her nose with her hand as she looked at him.

“d-Do you take milk?”

Steve grinned, “I do. Milk and you can use your spoon to stir…I like a hint of sugar in my tea”.

Lana sipped her tea, staring at her bookshelf.

“You accumulate books like I do coffee mugs” Thom said.

Lana looked at Thom as he straightened his tie, “I do?”

“Yeah” he grinned, “you like reading anything…”

“Do I like books about bombs?”

Thom looked at her, “uh…don’t think you’ve ever read one. Mostly likely tried it and poked so many holes in the books that it ended up getting launched. Or you blew it up”.

Lana smirked, “yeah…”

Thom kissed her head, “listen, we’re gonna sort this out okay?”

Lana looked at him, “why were we gonna break up?”

Thom looked down at her and stroked her face, “I don’t want to hurt you”.

“But what if it’s the key?!”

“We’d not been working for a while…i-you told me you slept with somebody else”.

Lana nodded and sat on her bed, “Christ”.

Thom joined her and placed his hand on her back, “I should’ve been there for you after Nut…and after Billy”.

Lana looked at him, “who’s Billy?”

“Your brother”.

It was the way Thom spoke that made her pause, “they’re dead. Aren’t they?”

Thom moved to speak before nodding, “I’m sorry Lana”.

Lana looked ahead, back to her bookshelf, “i-I don’t feel anything. You said Nut was my friend…that we had a matching tattoo…that Billy is- was my brother. But I don’t feel anything. I-I should. Shouldn’t I? They were people in my life but I don’t”.

Thom rubbed her back, “give yourself a break…yesterday you were told you’re an EXPO with a memory problem”.

Lana smirked, “silver linings”.

Kate glared at the board. Displaying her face and links to a white van. Various bits of information and where she had been when she was taken.

“Kate, if you could take a seat” Hastings said as he entered the room.

Kate folded her arms, “why?”

“Because I asked” Hastings said, “and I’d like you to look at some information for me”.

Kate looked at Steve who pulled the chair beside him out.

She looked back at the photo of herself before moving towards Steve.

“Now we’ve managed to do a screen grab of the drivers- not your traditional men in balaclavas”

Kate looked at the two men, “I don’t recognise them…”

“No?”

Kate shook her head, “no”.

“Alright” Hastings said, “how’s the memory?”

“Oh it’s back to fucking normal” Kate snarked.

“Kate” Steve warned.

“What? He asked a stupid question!”

“She’s a bit more volatile but I think she’s returning” Steve answered.

“You’d be fucking volatile if you’d lost your fucking memory and got told you had a kid, had a fucking best mate who snored and who couldn’t remember where her own fucking teabags were!” Kate snapped, bashing her fists on the table.

Steve flinched slightly, “it’s okay Kate”.

“No! No it’s not! Stop saying it’s okay! I don’t know who I am?! I don’t know anything about what I’m supposed to be! And all I do fucking know is that someone hated me so much they wanted me to forget everything! 3 weeks is a long time Steve!”

“I know! And for those 3 weeks I spent in fear that I’d find you dead! I don’t mind if you don’t know where the teabags are. Because I have you alive and in my sight!” Steve fired and grabbed her fists, grounding her, “because you’re Kate Fleming and I don’t want you to think that you’re in this on your own”.

Lana looked at the files placed before her by Helen. She seemed nice but she was definitely eyeing up her boyfriend.

“This is your missing persons report” Helen said kindly, “you were due to fly to Estonia and when your taxi came to pick you up, you weren’t there. Thom followed it up and said there was nothing to suggest you’d been taken…so we’ve assumed at some point before pick up at…5AM, you were taken”.

Lana nodded and opened the file, “do you know where?”

“No…all we’ve got is that you left a debrief the night before at 7 and we’ve got you on CCTV returning home at 8”.

“So somewhere between 8 and 5 I was kidnapped”.

“That’s our theory”.

Lana looked at her photo, “could’ve chosen a better photo”.

Helen chuckled, “well, you don’t use social media so we had to use your staff one”.

Lana touched it and winced. She looked at her wrist and stroked the tattoo, “I want to remember”.

Helen nodded, “it’ll take time. Drug report came back and there’s an unknown substance in your system, the boys have nicknamed it retcon but Sonya has said it’s like hard cocaine”.

“Sonya?”

Helen smiled sadly, “data analyst. Want me to ask her to join you?”

“She knows me…might help”.

“I’ll let her know” Helen stated and left Lana alone to view her file.

“Well?”

“Both still have no clue. They’re looking at their files to see if it helps them…fascinating how they’re both doing the same thing”.

“And the drivers?”

“Dead. Idiots should’ve worn a balaclava”.

“Now they’re dead idiots”.

“Indeed…we should’ve just left the girls in the unit”

“Patience. You wanted a trial and hasn’t it worked?”

“It has…Kate Fleming has no idea she’s really Lana Washington, nor Lana knowing she’s Kate”.

“Excellent”.

Chapter Text

Kate was tired of being told what she liked or didn’t like. All she wanted to do was have a hot bath and drown her sorrows with a bottle of beer. And maybe eat something sweet like Haribos.

Steve had informed her he would stay in her flat until her memory returned which she found odd. But pleasantly sweet of him.

He’d made them dinner, repeating over and over that it was her favourite. But when she ate it, her stomach flipped. She’d forced the food down and prayed she wouldn’t be sick. The man, lovely as he was, clearly couldn’t cook.

Steve rubbed her back, “so I’ve put Mark and Josh off till your memory returns…figured we need to work on that before forcing new people on you”.

Kate nodded, “thanks…sorry for…my outburst earlier”.

Steve smirked and touched her forehead.

“What you doing?”

“You never apologise for an outburst” Steve teased, “just checking you ain’t coming down wi’something”.

Kate rolled her eyes, “dickhead”.

Steve grinned, “I know you didn’t like my cooking by the way”.

“I ate all of your food”.

“Yeah but usually you –

Kate shot him a look, so he stopped before stroking her face.

“Next time, just say okay?”

Kate looked at his hand, “we’re not just colleagues are we?”

Steve tucked her hair behind her ear, “no...we’re not”.

Kate nodded, “I’m sorry I can’t remember that”.

“It’s not your fault…look, why don’t I change that dressing of yours?” he nodded to her wrist, “might help”.

Kate held her wrist out to him, “okay”.

Steve carefully untied the bandage, peeling back layer after layer until skin was revealed. He frowned.

“What’s wrong?”

“You’ve got a tattoo”.

Kate glanced down at it, “oh…do I not normally?”

“No…” Steve stroked it, “kinda cute though…before you went missing you said you had to talk to me about something, this must’ve been it”.

Kate nodded, “there’s no injury on my wrist” she pointed out.

“No…no there’s not” Steve murmured, “toxicology said you had a drug in your system, this must’ve been where it was put in…” he kissed her tattoo and looked at her.

Kate smiled slightly, “why do you like me?”

Steve grinned and leaned close, his lips tantalisingly close to hers, “I find you electric” he moved to kiss her when her phone went off.

Kate turned her neck at the last minute and felt Steve’s lips against her neck.

Glancing at her phone she saw an unknown number had sent her a message.

Hello Kate

Lana locked herself in the bathroom and tried to level her breathing out. Rubbing her head, she realised she’d not had a shower since returning.

Slowly, she stood and experimented with the controls before water cascaded down.

Lana smiled and stripped off before stepping into it. The hot water made her tremble. How long had it been?

Thom had been kind enough not to say anything about her, but she must’ve smelt. She washed her hair first, running her hands through her hair she turned to look at her reflection.

On her shoulder, was a number and a name.

Stopping the shower she got out quickly and looked at it.

KATE

07890414352

Lana frowned and grabbed a towel; someone had done that to her. Hard enough that it would stay on her skin. Someone had done that to her with intent.

Lana searched through her clothes for the phone Thom had found in her bed. He’d told her the code for it- apparently they were a couple that gave each other their phone passcodes.

Bringing up the messages she typed in the number before hitting send.

Hello Kate

“Who’s that?” Steve asked.

Kate looked at Steve and smiled slightly, “nothing” she touched his lips, “you were about to kiss me”.

“I was”.

“Do you think you should? Only…I can’t remember our first kiss”.

“Well” Steve smirked, “allow me to remind you” before he cupped her face and pressed his lips against hers.

He felt Kate kiss back, not as she normally would but it made Steve ache for more nonetheless. He pulled back and winked at her, “that feel good?”

Kate chuckled, “what are you referring to? Your knob or your lips?”

“Err both?”

Kate laughed, “make me a brew and I’ll tell you. I need a wee”.

Steve nodded and kissed her head before grabbing their mugs and moving to the kitchen.

Kate grabbed her phone and moved to the bathroom, locking herself in it.

She looked at the message again and bit her lip.

Who are you?

My name is Lana. I have lost my memory, your name and number was only my shoulder

Lana bit her lip as she saw Kate was typing. Maybe she had answers to her memory loss.

I’ve lost my memory too. Not sure I can help

Kate bit her lip as she saw Lana was typing, despite Lana having lost her memory, maybe the two of them could share what they did know.

Where are you?

Lana heard Thom singing as he cooked their dinner, she had to press Kate for more information. Fast.

I’m in London, I’m told I’m an EXPO and I was kidnapped 3 weeks ago. Please, tell me what you know?

Kate heard Steve bang on the door, “you okay in there?”

“Yeah just…”

“Oh shit right okay, uh tampons in the bottom cupboard”.

Kate eyed it, “okay…thanks” before returning her attention to her phone.

I’m in the Midlands, a police officer, and I was kidnapped 3 weeks ago.

This has to mean something. Can you talk later?

I can. I have a boyfriend here. I’ll phone when he’s asleep.

Me too. I mean a boyfriend. He’s called Thom.

Mine’s called Steve.

“Lana!”

Lana looked up at the door, “yeah?”

“You alright in there?”

“Yeah just…”

“Oh right no worries…uh bottom shelf I think…I’ve got ten minutes till dinner is ready. Only got diet coke in though…forgot to grab any good fizzy pop”.

Lana looked at the messages from Kate and began to remember.

1 WEEK AGO

“Kate” she whispered softly, “my name’s Kate”.

“Lana…”

They looked at the drug, slowly going into their system and smiled sadly, “we’ll forget in the morning” Kate said.

“Yeah…”

“You got a pin or a knife?”

Lana looked at Kate, “why?”

“They’re planning something…I mean I work for an Anti Corruption unit-

“I’m an EXPO- bombs”.

Kate nodded, “anything big recently?”

Lana nodded, “big shit…you?”

Kate shrugged, “someone attempted to kill me”.

“Big year for you then”

Kate chuckled, “yeah…you-look, cutting out the bullshit, we’re obviously twins. So, what if someone has been watching us both…wants to make us switch places for something bigger to happen?”

Lana eyed the door, “possibly…there’s one dickhead who’d want to fuck things up for me. What’s your plan?”

“You’re going to have to put my number on my back. When I see it, I’ll message you”.

“It’ll hurt”.

Kate glanced at her new tattoo on her wrist, identical to Lana’s. Lana’s gaze followed hers and she fished in her pocket for her penknife, “what’s the number?”

Chapter Text

Kate hovered in her bedroom as Steve’s snoring met each pace with a steady beat.

She’d told this Lana she was free and was waiting on Lana to reply. She was about to give up when her phone began to ring.

She answered it, taking herself into the living room.

“Hello?”

“Hello Kate”.

Kate sat on her sofa, “you sound familiar…”

“As do you…is your boyfriend fast asleep?”

“He is. Is yours?”

“He is”.

Kate ran a hand through her hair, “us both going missing has to be connected”.

“Well, something must connect us…I’m an EXPO, supposedly…”

“And I’m police officer…”

“Did you get a missing person file?”

“Yeah…just says I went missing…no trace of how they got me”.

“Same here…”

“We’re missing something obvious here” Kate stated, “something easy…”

“I walked into work. The morning I was found, I walked into work”.

“Me too…it’s not that…it can’t be”.

“Kate?”

Kate’s breath hitched, “text me” she whispered before hanging up.

“Yeah?”

“Oh you’re out here” Steve smiled and rubbed his head, “woke up and couldn’t find you”.

“Needed to just sit and think for a bit”.

Steve nodded and moved to her side, he sat down and kissed her head, “Gaffer said we’ve got a big meeting in London next week…he wants to push it back but-

“Am I meant to be there?”

“Yeah”.

Kate thought about what Lana had said. She’s in London and an EXPO. Maybe she could meet this woman and see if they couldn’t figure out what had happened together, in person.

“We should go” Kate murmured and rested against him, “it might help”.

Steve smiled and kissed her head again, “I’ll let the Gaffer know”.

“Meeting is good to go”.

“I’ll set the timer”.

“One week. Are we pushing it?”

“No. We can’t push it forwards, they’ll suspect”.

“But what if they find out?”

“They won’t. Kate is thinking she’s nothing more than an officer”.

“And Lana?”

“An EXPO”

“Good. Maybe…we send them both a present in the meantime, test them”.

Lana: Good sleep?

Kate: Memories…might be a dream. I’m trapped in a room.

Lana: Me too. Locked in a room and there’s someone else with me

Kate: Same dream? Or same memory?

“Who you texting Boss?”

Lana looked up and saw Danny, he grinned at her.

“Defo ain’t textin’ Thom”.

Lana shrugged, “is it a crime for me to text?”

“Na, just…you got a face on you. Like you’re searching for something. S’Same face you have when you’re disarming an IED”.

Lana looked at the texts, “is there anything coming up?”

“What like?”

“Like a meeting…officers coming down?”

“Uhh not that I know of…I can ask?”

“No! No just must’ve got confused” Lana shrugged, “what with everything going on” she smiled apologetically, “brains fried”.

“I get that” Danny laughed, “if anything pops my end I’ll let you know though”.

“Thanks”.

Kate: Meeting on 11^th at 3.

Lana: Noted.

Kate: Can we meet before?

Lana: I’ll be free.

Kate: You say you’re an EXPO…

Lana: Yeah?

Kate: Do you remember anything about it?

Lana: You remember anything about being an officer?

“Right, we’ve got to evacuate AC-12”

Kate looked up, “Steve?”

“There’s been a package left at front desk. We’re waiting for EXPOs”.

Kate nodded, “okay…” she stood and gripped Steve’s hand, “so what do we do if it’s at front desk”.

“Down through the service” Steve stated, “come on”.

“My phone”.

“Kate we have to go”.

Kate pulled him back to the phone and grabbed it, “this is important”.

“Who’s Lana?”

“What?”

Steve shrugged, “s’on your phone”.

Kate moved to him, “a girl I know”.

Steve bought the lie and when they got to the lifts the building shut down.

“What’s going on?”

Hastings moved back from the lifts, “powers gone. We’re going to have to walk past the area the bomb-

“IED” Kate said.

Hastings looked at her, “what?”

“IED” she said, “improvised explosive device”.

“Even still, we need to move and wait for EXPOs”.

Steve gripped Kate’s hand tightly, “even still, won’t the power be out?”

“Not for the fire escapes around the corner” Hastings said, “right everyone! Down and slowly. We can’t afford anything”.

Kate had a memory. A memory of seeing an IED and cutting a blue wire. As she walked down to the reception with Steve, she saw the package.

“How do we know it’s an IED?” Kate asked.

“Reception opened it and freaked. Said there was a timer and a few wires…had enough sense to take a photo. It’s a bom-IED”.

Kate nodded, “do you have a photo?”

“Yeah I’ll show you when we get out”.

Kate bit her lip, “now?”

Steve looked at her, “what? Kate-

“I’m remembering something about where I was…just quickly?”

Steve looked around and saw Hastings at the head of his fellow officers, he quickly pulled his phone out and showed Kate the image of the device.

Kate studied it for a second, adrenaline ran through her, blue wires.

“How longs the EXPOs?”

“At least half an hour”.

Kate moved over to the reception and walked behind it, taking a look at the device.

“Kate!” Steve hissed and followed her, “come on, we have to go!”

Kate shrugged him off, instead, searching the desk for something to cut a wire with.

“Kate! Let the experts deal with it!”

Kate found a pair of nail scissors, she moved to the device again, lightly touching the paper surrounding the IED.

“Right come here” Steve said and pulled Kate away, gripping her tightly he carried her away from the IED.

“I can do it! Let me go!”

“Nope. It’s a bomb, we need to get out!”

“IED!”

“Whatever!”

“You didn’t even let me see the timer” Kate snapped.

“With good fucking reason, it’s a bloody bomb Kate!”

Kate huffed as Steve carried her towards the exits only to find them locked.

“No” Steve breathed, “no no no” he bashed at the door, “Gaffer?!” Keeping a firm grip on Kate he bashed at the door with his feet, “GAFFER!”

Kate felt her phone vibrate with a message from Lana.

Lana: Kate, we just had some balaclava men storm into our building and kill a few people.

Kate looked at it and then at Steve, “put me down, I won’t run”.

“Promise?”

“Promise”.

Steve placed Kate back on the ground and she fired a response to Lana.

Kate: We have an IED here. Only Steve and I are trapped. EXPOs taking a while to get here.

Lana: Shit. Really wish I could remember how to do my job…I’ll find someone

There was a man, laughing in her head, “listen Wash, if you get one of these and there’s a timer, you look for this wire here. Right? That’s it. These bombers, they all make them with the same fundamentals…but here. This bit. Cut here and you’re golden”.

Kate opened her eyes and ran back to the reception, ignoring Steve.

She looked at the device and saw the timer was now at 30 seconds to go.

“Okay” she breathed, pulling out the nail scissors she approached the IED.

“Kate please” Steve begged, “get away”.

“20 seconds Steve. Run to the door and duck low”.

Kate slipped the scissors underneath the wire closet to the timer, she heard Steve run and she pressed down. It cut slowly and the timer was suddenly on 10 seconds.

The timer froze before going black as her scissors cut through the wire.

Kate slowly backed up and looked at the device. It was off?

She moved towards Steve, sat by the fire exit, hugging his knees.

“Steve?”

“Kate?” he looked up and moved to her quickly, pulling her back down to the floor, he covered her body with his but she just chuckled, “it’s okay”.

“Ey?”

“Timer is blank”.

Steve looked at her, “sweetheart what-

“EXPO! Clear- are you guys okay?”

Kate looked up at an EXPO and nodded, “blue wire, timer device. Snipped it”.

The EXPO looked at Kate, “you snipped it?”

Kate nodded, “IEDs are fundamentally built the same way, it’s the same wire to cut”.

The EXPO nodded with a grin, “true. All the same, get out and we’ll check”.

Chapter Text

Lana looked at the CCTV grabs of the balaclava men, and then at her boyfriend, Thom, leading the charge between finding out how they got in.

“So, we can see they appeared in a service elevator which means they came in through the service entrance”.

She looked at her phone as Thom continued his speech.

Kate: Cut the right wire.

Lana: Any tips?

Kate: Sending a photo

“Lana. You okay?”

Lana looked up at Thom, “yeah…just…the balaclavas made me…made me think maybe they were here for me? After what’s happened…”

“That’s a plausible theory. Helen can you look into it?”

“Yes Sir”.

Thom smiled at Lana, “we’ll catch them”.

Lana nodded and looked back at her phone. Kate had sent her a photo of the IED and had helpfully annotated where she cut.

She saved the photo before sipping her water before replying.

Lana: Free for a phone call?

Kate: Debriefing and bollocked at, free in 10?

Lana stood in the toilets, listening to the phone ring out for Kate.

“Lana?”

“I’m here”.

“I haven’t got long. Got told off for cutting a wire that stopped an explosion. How is it your end?”

“They’re looking into it being connected to my- well, our, kidnap…”

“So you get balaclava men. I get an IED…what does it mean?”

Lana paused, “we need to meet”.

“Earlier than next week?”

“Yes”.

“We could facetime?”

Lana paused before agreeing, “now?”

“Now”.

Lana changed her phone to Facetime and locked herself into the bathroom stalls.

As Kate accepted, her eyes went wide.

“Oh my god” they both chorused.

Kate stared at herself, only this version was sat in a bathroom stall, and she was outside, under the guise of needing air.

“i-we-“ she began.

“Hi” Lana said and then smiled, wiping her eyes, “I guess”.

“Yeah” Kate chuckled, “hi…”

“I guess we’re sisters?”

“Twins probably”.

Lana nodded, “this is mad”.

Kate nodded, “agreed…I don’t know…how to begin to process this”.

“I keep getting flashbacks” Lana said.

“Me too…earlier…before the IED I had this image of a man telling me what wire to cut”.

Lana smiled slightly, “it worked…”

“It felt right? You know it sounds weird. But, up at AC-12, I feel like I don’t belong, but in that moment, the IED? It felt right?”

Lana’s smile fell, “I hope I don’t face an IED. Right now I think I’d cut the actual timer”.

Kate nodded, “let’s meet as soon as we can. I’ve a feeling we can solve this without the men in our lives”.

Lana thought about Thom and grinned, “yours getting in the way?”

“He’s grumpy with me for stopping the bomb”.

“Mine wants me under house arrest if the balaclava men are to do with me”.

“Thom?”

“Yeah…”

Kate rubbed her head, “more I talk to you, the more I’m starting to remember”.

“Me too…”

“It’s mad” Kate said, “but at least we’ve got each other”.

“Do you think, if we’ve both forgotten who we are…what do you think the odds are that we’re in the wrong place?”

“What do you mean?”

“Like, right now, I’m Lana, an EXPO. But what if I’m meant to be Kate. An officer?”

“And I’m the EXPO?”

“Yeah”.

“Explains why I felt so calm with the IED”.

Lana nodded, “so…you’re Lana”.

Kate half smiled, “and you’re Kate”.

The pair grinned.

“Oh shit I’ve kissed your boyfriend!”

Kate, now realising she was Lana, walked towards Steve who only smiled at her.

“Arnott” she said, following the real Kate’s instructions.

Steve looked up, “nope”.

“Arnott” she repeated and stroked his beard, “come on…don’t be Mr Grumpy”.

Steve flushed, “don’t start”.

Lana smirked and patted his cheek, “I need to show you something”.

Steve’s eyes lit up, “yeah?”

“I booked us somewhere to stay whilst we’re down in London…I want us to go and stay together”.

Steve stroked her arm, “together?”

“Mmmhmm…I’ve got to see a friend whilst I’m down there…she wants to meet my boyfriend”.

“Introducing me as your boyfriend?”

“Of course. She’s got a boyfriend too…you’ve got something in common”.

“Oh yeah?”

Lana nodded and patted his face, the way Kate had told her to.

“Thom?”

Thom looked up and grinned at Lana, “yeah?”

Kate smiled, tilting her head, the way the real Lana had told her, “I’ve got a confession”.

“Oh?”

“I’ve got a really good friend…she got in contact with me. She’s going to be down next week and I said she could visit us”.

Thom nodded, “sure”.

“She’s bringing her boyfriend”.

“Alright…”

“You’ve got something in common with him”.

“Oh yeah? He a Gunners fan?”

Kate wrinkled her nose, “what?”

Thom smiled and pulled her close. He kissed her softly and stroked her hair back, “why don’t we celebrate tonight?”

Kate bit her lip, Lana might be Thom’s girlfriend, but she was Steve’s. Instead she patted his cheek, “not tonight. I feel a bit on edge after the attack…just want a quiet one”.

Thom nodded, “sure thing…oh by the way…something popped up, a DNA fragment up in the Midlands was found in a burnt out van. Direct match for you”.

Kate nodded, “direct match for Lana Washington…any others?”

“No. Just yours. Looks like we found how they took you” Thom said and rubbed her back, before squeezing her arse, “what do you think?”

Kate nodded, “can I look at it?”

“Course” Thom said and handed over the evidence.

Kate looked at it, “look here”.

“What?”

Kate handed it to him and pointed to a green dot, “that’s not DNA…”

Thom frowned and looked at it, “I’ll have Sonya look into it. Nice work firebomb”.

Kate grinned and ruffled his hair, “firebomb?”

“You love it”

“Tolerate maybe”.

Thom smirked, “so…if I call you my little firebomb…you’re saying you tolerate it?” he gripped her waist and pulled her onto his lap.

“Thom” Kate flushed, “we’re at work”.

“And I’m the DCI”.

“Even still…cameras?” Kate bit her lip, “cameras…”

Thom watched her.

“Do we have CCTV of my last day here? Before…”

“We do”.

Thom helped Kate off his lap and pulled up the CCTV log from nearly a month ago.

“Okay…so…this was you leaving…6:59…don’t waste time…and a cleaner enters…”

“Pause it” Kate ordered.

Thom obeyed and Kate leaned across, “there” she murmured and zoomed it in, “him”.

“What about him?”

Kate rolled her eyes, “how are you a DCI?”

Thom shot her a look, “well you’ll have to tell me what I’m looking for”.

“Why was there a cleaner that late?”

“Uhh I think we had a part- no…we had that at the pub…let me bring up the CCTV of the cleaning van leaving later on…”

Kate waited patiently as Thom found the cameras for when the cleaning van left.

“Following…it’ll take a while to get clearance…we might be here a while”.

“I’ll order a takeaway”.

Thom nodded before searching for a list of roads, CCTV networks and anything else he thought might be useful for finding out where the cleaning van went.

Lana watched Steve brushing his teeth. He grinned at her from the mirror, “find something you like?”

“Maybe…”

Steve smirked and looked at her, “something on your mind?”

“Sort of…I’m worried”.

“About?”

“What if me losing my memory wasn’t an accident. Like there’s someone out there who kept me until I’d lost my memory”.

Steve nodded, “we’d be looking at someone with a vendetta for you specifically then”.

“Takes some time?”

Steve rolled his eyes, “you’re just in demand because you happen to make the OCG do as you say”.

Lana smirked, “guess there’s something in my genes”.

Steve smirked and spat out his toothpaste, “I like what’s in your jeans”.

Lana rolled her eyes, “down boy”.

Steve hugged her waist and pulled her close, “Kate Kate Kate…you know by now that turns me on”.

Lana rested her hands on his shoulders, “mmm, but I also know you are shit at packing. My friend said she wants to see us as soon as we can”.

“So just who is this friend again?”

“Lana”.

“Ohh the one you were texting?”

Lana nodded, “she’s an EXPO at the MET”.

“Wow. Fuck really? How’d you two meet?”

“Uhh call it work experience” Lana stated.

Steve nodded, “extreme work experience?”

“Something like that”.

Lana: So I’m now actually Lana. Yes?

Kate: If you’re with Steve, you’re Lana.

Lana: How’s Thom?

Kate: found some CCTV of you leaving work, followed by a cleaners van.

Lana: he figured us out yet?

Kate: Not yet. Keeps trying to kiss me

Lana: same here. Sorry

Kate: we look the same and they’re men.

Lana: True. I can’t remember what he looks like

Kate: Sending a picture. It’s one from your fridge. Can you send one of Steve? Need to see his face.

Lana: Of course

Miles apart, two women stared at photos of their boyfriends. Simultaneously, they smiled and touched their faces. Remembering so much more.

Kate paced.

“Lana can you stop that”.

Kate ignored Thom, forgetting for a moment she was playing Lana.

“Lana”.

“Lana”.

“Lana?!”

Kate stopped moving and looked at Thom, “sorry”.

“Something wrong?”

“No no just” she looked at Thom, wishing it was Steve, “I remember”.

“Kate…earth to Kate…Katherine….shortarse?”

Lana shot Steve a dirty glare, “did you just shortarse me?”

“You were ignoring me”.

“Hardly big yourself you dickhead” Lana retorted.

Steve grinned, “finished packing?”

“Yeah. Meeting is two days away we’re going to London today”.

“What? Why?”

Lana stroked Steve’s face, “because I remember what happened”.

Chapter Text

THREE WEEKS AGO

Kate looked at her screen, fascinated by the reports from London. They’d had a major incident declared.

She’d often wondered what Steve’s job in counter terror would be like. If she’d cope. If she came face to face with a bomb what would she do?

Probably melt down but she could watch the experts.

“DI Thom Youngblood is here with us tonight”.

“Oh fuck that” Kate groaned as a pretty boy MET Detective appeared on screen.

“EXPO Lan-

Kate turned the TV off and rubbed her neck, Steve was staying at his tonight and she really wished he wasn’t. The flat wasn’t the same without him.

Hugs weren’t freely available.

Tea was always forgotten.

So when the door went, Kate leapt up, hoping it was Steve.

She answered the door to a man in black, pale skin and slightly ginger.

“Bloody hell. Fucking perfect match for Wash”.

“I’m sorry, who are you?”

“John. John Hudson. And you Kate Fleming, are coming with me”.

“Am I fuck” Kate spat and moved to close the door, a boot prevented her from doing so and suddenly John was in her home, holding her against the wall.

A needle pierced her skin and she whimpered before a bag was placed over her head and she felt nothing else.

Lana stared at her boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend was it now? On tv.

“Fucking sod” she grumbled, “oh I’m Thom I’m a real nice guy ooo please trust me, no Lana don’t do your job Lana. Don’t go save people Lana” she mocked and shoved her bag to the side, “well it’s a good fucking job I’ve got a secondment then isn’t it Thom?!” she yelled at the TV.

The door went and she groaned, “oh not the time for a fucking meeting of Jesus”. Storming to the door she yanked it open, “what?”

“Lana Washington?”

“Yes?”

Welsh Jesus lover. Fuck me didn’t think they existed Lana thought grimly. This one looked like he’d fit in with John going on the way he stared at her.

“Not a relation to Kate Fleming are you?”

“Who?”

“Oh so sorry. I must’ve got the wrong house”.

“Yeah you did”.

Lana moved to slam the door when a boot prevented her. She looked at the man and he stormed in, gripping her tightly.

“Well, I guess I’ll just have to test my theory then” he spat and she felt a needle pierce her skin. A bag thrown over her head before she felt nothing.

NOW

Kate looked at Thom, “say something?”

“You remember?”

“I do”.

Thom nodded, “and you could tell me who took you? What happened?”

“I can”.

“Well go on then” Thom encouraged and rubbed her hand, “come on”.

“All I can tell you right now is that a man called John Hudson did it”.

Thom blinked, “Lana”.

“He was ginger…fair haired…bit short. But John Hudson took me”.

“Lana, John-

“And I’m pretty sure my Chief of Police took Lana”.

“What?”

“My name isn’t Lana Washington, it’s Kate Fleming”.

Steve stared at Lana, “say again?”

“I remember. Quite a lot actually, slightly terrified but other than that ready to go and get my life back”.

“Well that’s good uh Kate…”

Lana smiled at Steve, “sorry pretty boy, sweet as you are you aren’t my type”.

“What?”

Lana called Kate, “you remember?” she asked as Kate answered.

“I remember…told your one and he isn’t believing me. You told mine yet?”

“About to now”.

“Kate what are you doing”.

Lana held up a finger, “hush pretty boy. Bomb expert talking you shutting up”.

“Bomb expert what-

Lana pulled the phone away and selected Facetime, “you good?”

“I’m good”.

“Steve be a good little policeman and come here”.

“Kate did you hit your head really hard?” Steve asked before going to view whatever it was on Kate’s phone.

He watched as Kate’s double appeared on screen alongside a man with fair curly hair. He vaguely recognised him, maybe he was an officer somewhere he once worked.

“What the- fuck” the two men stated.

“Kate” Steve breathed before looking at Lana, “what- i-“

“I’m here Steve” Kate said softly, although she was beginning to cry, “I’m here”.

“Sweetheart” Steve breathed, “oh my god i-oh so, who are-

“Lana” the man on the phone whispered, “fuck. Lana!”

“You been kissing women with more balls than you again?” Lana asked.

Kate looked at Steve, “don’t you even start. We both know what the pair of you have done, and we’ve called this now because we’re in danger”.

“Someone wanted us to switch places” Lana continued, “have the EXPO away from the bombs”.

“And the DI in the middle of them” Kate finished.

“AC-12 have a meeting in London in a few days. You need to be on high alert for a threat”.

“John Hudson took me. Who took you Lana?”

“Oh this jumped up Welsh bloke”.

Kate and Steve traded a look, “Chief”.

“How quickly can you get down here?” Kate asked Lana, whilst looking at Steve.

“On our way” Steve replied, “listen Kate i-I nothing happened”.

Kate chuckled, “I know. Lana kept me well informed”.

Steve drove down in the depths of night, now having learned the truth, he was anxious to see Kate again.

Lana realised despite how she’d left it with Thom, she missed him. And needed to see him. The thoughts of him seeing anyone else angered her unlike any relationship she’d ever been in.

As they got nearer to London, Lana remembered all that she had lost before her memory. Nut. Billy. How she’d cheated on her boyfriend with a terrorist.

Of all people.

A fucking terrorist!

Steve glanced at Lana, she’d gone silent an hour in. He knew Kate, but he didn’t know Lana, this was unchartered territory.

He saw a sign for a McDonalds and pulled in, he might not know Lana. But he had lived with her for a week.

“Pit stop” he explained.

Lana smiled gratefully as he ordered them some food before he pulled over to parking place to eat it.

“So…Lana…you know I used to work in counter terror?”

Lana shook her head, “no, but I suppose you know about what my work does through that?”

“Yeah…you’re bloody brave”.

Lana shrugged, “stupid…don’t seem to save the right people…or anyone”.

Steve nodded, “sometimes it happens”.

“Happened a lot to me the past few months…”

“I’m not your boyfriend so I’m not gonna say it’s okay but…are you okay?”

Lana ate a fry and shrugged again, “got a therapist. She says I need to talk more but it doesn’t do any good”.

“You’d be surprised. Both me and Kate are in therapy”.

“Couples?”

“No…no. A few years ago an organised crime group tried to kill me. I’ve been uh well, suffering from a painkiller addiction”.

“And Kate?”

“Her old boss…I mean she was messed up in all of it, no fault of her own, but she was ordered to have Kate killed. Kate’s got PTSD because of it”.

“One more thing we have in common then” Lana mused.

“So you’re twins then?”

“Nothing escapes you Detective”.

Steve smirked, “you’re so like Kate”.

“Am I?”

Steve nodded, “sarcastic, swear, keep me in my place”.

Lana smirked, “only thing now is to work out which one of us was the wanted child”.

Steve looked at Lana, “Kate was adopted. As a baby”.

Lana’s smirk fell, “i-she was adopted?”

Steve nodded, “she never tells anyone cause her parents were open about it. But they died when she was about 15”.

“Oh…she never wondered?”

“Probably another thing she’s in therapy for”.

Lana nodded and took a bite out of her burger, “when we were together…in that warehouse. They had names for us. I don’t even know if that’s true or not. We both were drifting in and out…but they called us well, one of us the annoying one and the other troublesome”.

Steve smirked, “wondering who’s who?”

Lana grinned, “slightly…because if they’ve called my sister the troublesome one then I won’t be happy”.

“Why? You think you’re worse?”

Lana laughed, “I don’t know…but if she’s troublesome then I’m annoying”.

Chapter Text

Kate watched Thom as he remained looking at the window. Waiting for a sign from Lana.

“So…”

Thom looked at her, “I’m sorry for uh…thinking you were Lana and –

“It’s fine. For a while I thought I was. I’m sure Steve and Lana are in the same boat feeling guilty”.

“All the same…things between Lana and I have been rough recently. I-I guess I just thought…”

“Second chance?”

“Yeah…something like that”.

“You said Lana had a brother, Billy?”

“Yeah uh oh shit if you’re-“

Kate shrugged, “I was adopted as a baby…lost them at 15…they just told me right from the off I wasn’t theirs”.

Thom nodded, “I’m sorry”.

“It’s been over 20 years now” Kate stated, “can’t even remember their voices”.

“Lana’s parents- I mean, well, I guess your parents maybe…they don’t live far…moved down here when Lana came back from a tour. Wanted to be closer to her”.

Kate nodded and moved to say something else when she heard a knock at the door.

She stood, as did Thom and slowly approached the door.

“Steve?” Kate called out.

“Kate?!”

“Steve!”

Kate opened the door and launched herself at Steve. Holding him tightly. Steve gripped her and kissed her head repeatedly.

“Ohmygodohmygod sweetheart” he breathed and kissed her, “sweetheart I’ve i-I oh my god”.

Lana looked awkwardly at Thom who smiled just as awkwardly.

“Oh god come here” she said, rolling her eyes, pulling him into a tight hug. She breathed him in and felt safe. Comforting.

“Come on, let’s get you both inside” Thom said and kissed Lana’s head before grabbing her bag and Steve’s.

Steve slipped his hand into Kate’s and followed her inside.

“Boss?”

“This better be good”.

“We have a problem”.

“Oh?”

“They know”.

Kate looked at Lana, “déjà vu?”

Lana nodded and half smiled, “fucking weird this is”.

Steve and Thom looked at one another before looking at their partners, “my mind is blown” Steve conceded.

“Pervy thoughts to yourself” Kate ordered making Lana smirk.

“And you” Lana nodded to Thom.

“Drink, Steve?”

“Please”.

The men stood and moved to the kitchen as Lana and Kate began to talk.

“What do you think will happen at the meeting?” Kate asked.

“They’ll have an IED somewhere. Anywhere. It could be on a laptop, a door, trip wire. Under some rubbish. Of course it’ll be brought in on the morning, they do scans days before”.

Kate nodded, “and you or your team would be called in when it gets found”.

Lana nodded, “yeah and we go in to neutralise it”.

“Only in this case, they’d want to see you fail”.

“Precisely”.

Kate rubbed her shoulder, she could still feel the numbers on her skin. Lana glanced at her tattoo, “they did a good job getting us identical”.

Kate looked at it, “yeah…fucking shock of my life realising I shouldn’t have one”.

Lana presented her wrist to Kate, “it’s something I got with my best mate”.

“Nut?”

Lana nodded.

“i-I’m sorry”.

Lana shrugged, “if it’s our time, it’s our time”.

Kate rubbed her arm, “yeah but. It also fucking sucks”.

Lana nodded and looked at Kate “Steve said you both have therapy”.

“Mm, it helps. Having someone who doesn’t judge you just sit there…let you vent. Let you express yourself”.

“I’m not good at that”.

“Took me three sessions to actually talk to the therapist” Kate admitted, “we’re not all made for it”.

Lana looked at Steve and Thom, talking in the kitchen, “I messed up with him”.

“He loves you” Kate said, “men are forgiving…”

“Not sure I deserve it”.

“We all make mistakes”.

“Bet you haven’t shagged a terrorist though”.

Kate eyed her, “no…no I haven’t…I did shag my best mates husband though”.

Lana winced, “oo, how did that go?”

“She was murdered” Kate said simply, “these IED’s…how do they work?”

Lana smiled, “glad you asked”.

Thom glanced at Steve, “so how’s she been?”

“Once her memory returned?” Steve asked.

“Mmm”.

“Sad. Volatile…actually very bossy too. What about Kate?”

Thom looked at Kate, “like Lana…bossy. Smart, knew who she was and was very determined to not let anything happen”.

Steve blushed, “yeah we uh we’ve not been together long but we kept it quiet at work”.

“Lana and I…I didn’t want people knowing, neither did she. And then…a lot of stuff happened…people guessed, her lot definitely knew. I’m sure Sonya did too. But it looked like the end and then she went missing, I got asked out for drinks and” Thom sighed, “it’s complicated being in a relationship with someone you work with isn’t it?”

Steve smiled at Kate, “it’s worth it”.

Thom glanced at Lana, he smiled, “yeah…”

“Thom?”

Thom turned to Steve, “yeah?”

“There’s a very real danger that both of them could be targeted at this meeting…and I know they’ll have their own plan but…maybe it’s time we helped them?”

Kate looked at Lana, “hang on” she reached out and brushed Lana’s fringe forwards.

“There”.

Lana looked at Kate, “we match?”

“We match”.

They turned to the mirror and both smiled slightly, “it’s weird. Isn’t it?” Kate asked, “that we’re identical?”

Lana nodded, “reckon the boys will guess?”

“They’ll try”.

“How long have you and Thom been together?”

Lana looked at Kate, “a while. Sort of. We kept it from everyone…”

“How did you…I want to say get together, but that’s sounds wrong to say”.

“There was this meeting and it was going on. Thom sent me a message saying he was bored. Just it was human. I thought he was stuck up but there he was making a joke about an important meeting”.

Kate smiled, “from what I’ve seen of him he’s got a caring side”.

“He wants to take care of me but I don’t need taking care of. I’m a fucking EXPO”.

“I think you do”.

“What?”

Kate rubbed her tattoo, “this Nut, you went to Afghanistan with him yeah?”

“Yeah. We trained together and we had each others backs out there. I was only 17 on my first tour”.

Kate rubbed Lana’s arm, “you miss that. Having someone have your back?”

Lana looked at Kate and was surprised to find understanding in her eyes.

“Is that what Steve is to you?”

Kate nodded, “it’s why we decided to make a go of it. There are times he drives me crazy with his stupidity. Putting his foot in it. But yeah, he’s a special kind of stupid. My stupid”.

Lana smirked, “good kisser too”.

Kate laughed, “yeah…”

She looked at their reflections and touched her tattoo, “we’ll get them for this”.

Lana touched her own tattoo, a mirror of Kate.

“Shall we see if they can figure us out?”

Kate nodded and moved towards the bathroom door.

Steve looked up as Kate and Lana walked out of the bathroom. His eyes widened. They were both dressed the same, same hair. Same pose.

Same everything.

“Well?” One said.

“Perfect” Steve smiled, “which is which?”

“Guess” the other grinned.

Thom looked at Lana and Kate and frowned as he tried to guess.

“Say… there’s an IED” Thom asked.

“There’s an IED” they said in unison.

“Right that’s not going to haunt me” Steve grumbled, “say something separately”.

“You’re a knob”

“You’re a knob”.

Thom pointed at the first woman, “Lana”.

He looked at Steve, “what do you think?”

Steve rubbed his jaw, “say it again”.

“You’re a knob”

“You’re a knob”.

Steve eyed both women and smirked, he pointed at the first woman, “Kate”.

Kate and Lana grinned, “one out of two isn’t bad”.

Kate walked towards Steve and stroked his face, “you just said me cause Thom had said Lana”.

“Naa” he grinned and held her waist, “I know your I’m a knob face”.

Kate laughed and ruffled his hair, “twat”.

Lana moved to Thom, “I’ll need to stay here with Steve. If we’re to keep up the ruse that we can’t remember. Kate needs to be with you at work. Showing her face”.

“What if they know we’ve met?” Kate said.

“I’ll be in a car with Steve close by. If there’s a problem. We move”.

“Gaffer will want to know where we are” Steve pointed out.

“We can’t tell him. Just say I had a headache so I’m at home in case it’s my memory. Say we’re sorry but we’ll meet him in London” Lana said.

Steve nodded, “if I didn’t know you were Lana I would’ve sworn that was Kate”.

Lana smiled, “who said you got it right knobhead?”

Steve laughed and pinched Kate’s bum.

“Stop feeling what knickers I’ve got on” Kate grumbled.

“That’s why I got it right” he grinned cheekily.

Chapter Text

For the first time in over a month. Steve lay beside Kate at night.

She turned and smiled at him.

“Missed you” he murmured.

“When this is all over… move in with me?”

Steve smiled at Kate, “yeah?”

Kate rested her head against Steve’s chest, “yeah”. Steve held her and kissed her head, “better get it over quickly then” he joked.

Kate hugged him before kissing his chest.

“Was nice of Lana to let us have the bed”.

“She knows you’ve got a bad back. But just because we’re in a bed doesn’t mean sex”.

“What about shower sex later?”

Kate kissed him softly and gripped his shirt as she did, “I’ll consider it” she murmured against his lips, “missed your kisses too” she smiled.

Steve stroked her face, “m sorry for kissing her”.

“You thought it was me. For once Arnott, having an actual twin with a memory loss is a good excuse for you.  And me. I kissed Thom”.

Steve grinned and stroked her face, “long as I get you when it all goes back to normal, I’m fine with that”.

Lana sipped her tea as she watched Thom sleep on the sofa. A door opened and she saw Kate emerge from her room. She smiled slightly, “can’t sleep either?”

Kate shook her head, “Steve’s out for it”.

“Brew?”

Kate nodded and moved over to her, she looked at Thom asleep and rested her arms against the counter, “what if they expect me to do the sort of stuff you do?”

“Disarm bombs?”

“Yeah”.

Lana looked at Kate, “there’s not enough time to teach you everything”.

“That’s what worries me…”

Lana looked at her kitchen, “but I can help” she looked at Kate.

Thom walked Kate up to his desk, “I’ll see if Helen has any earpieces…might help for tomorrow”.

Kate looked across at Lana’s EXPO team, “I’ll chat to the boys”.

Thom nodded, “you and- I mean, Lana and Danny have a handshake they do…”

“Lana said. But I’m still playing on my memory right now”.

She froze as she saw a man walk into the room, one who was responsible for why she was here.

John Hudson.

She straightened.

Thom whispered in her ear, “he tried to kill Lana. He’s back because you’re technically not back on staff…play it cool”.

Kate moved across to the team of EXPOs and tried to keep her composure.

John had been the one to knock her out, he’d tried to kill Lana.

“Alright Lana” John greeted, no sign of knowing she was Kate.

Kate looked at him, trying to act confused.

“Wash had an accident” Hass explained, “was kidnapped and lost her memory”.

John nodded, “ah, sorry to hear. Probably best you don’t remember a few things ey” he grinned before patting Danny’s arm, “set a date yet?”

Danny eyed Kate, “my girl” he winked, “we got 5 months to go”.

“Have to organise something for ya” John said before looking at Kate, “if you’ve lost your memory why aren’t you at home?”

“I was kidnapped. I’d rather be with this lot than my dirty oven”.

Danny grinned, “so, what’s going on today then?”

“Same as always” Hass stated, “if we get a call we go…if not…we wait”.

John looked at her and waited for Danny and Hass to leave. He leaned close, “you shagged a terrorist”.

Kate looked at John, “is that supposed to make me remember? Or make me want to shove you onto an IED?”

John eyed her and raised an eyebrow, “with that attitude you definitely shouldn’t be a member of this team. Na, should’ve been you in that blast, not Nut”.

Kate blinked, “are you sure you should be on a team with that attitude?” she questioned, “because if I were you. I’d watch what I say from now on. You might unlock something in me” Kate threatened and began making herself a mug of tea.

John advanced on her, “nasty business that kidnap…wonder what exactly happened to you…all sorts could of really…and yet here you are…”

Kate turned and stared at John, “if you’re insinuating I was raped, I’m pleased to inform you I had a medical when I was found and all they discovered was that I was dehydrated and drugged”.

John narrowed his eyes, “missed opportunity” before he walked off.

“Wash!”

Kate turned and saw Hass moving towards her.

“You good?”

“Yeah. Trying to work out where tea bags are”.

Hass smiled and opened a cupboard, “your favourites are up here” he handed her the box of Yorkshire Tea, “John give you any trouble?”

Kate shrugged, “Thom told me he tried to kill me. I’m more concerned that he’s allowed back”.

Hass pulled a face, “until you’re back to full strength he has to be”.

“Hopefully next week then” Kate replied and finished making her tea before turning her back to the wall, surveying the room, “what’s this about a meeting tomorrow?”

“Oh. Just some people coming from the Midlands…AC…something, a Chief of Police recommended they come down for it”.

“I thought it was to do with budgets” Kate remarked.

Hass looked at her, “makes you say that?”

“Why would a force from the Midlands come here for a meeting, isn’t that what Zoom is for?”

Hass nodded, “you reckon something’s up?”

“Absence of the normal” Kate stated.

Hass leaned close, “Lana?”

“Just be on your guard tomorrow. Where’s my kit?”

“Sonya”.

“Take me to her”.

Lana stared at her works building as Steve sipped his takeaway coffee, “I saw John going in”.

“Keeping up appearances” Steve offered, “I hope Kate’s okay”.

“John will push her” Lana stated, “it’s what he does”.

Steve nodded, “if he touches her”.

“We weren’t hurt…when we captured. All they did was keep us locked up”.

“I hadn’t even thought of that” Steve murmured, “your medical was just drugs a-and dehydration. Hadn’t stopped to think about Kate’s”.

Lana sipped her own coffee, “she’ll be okay”.

“She’s tough”.

“I put her number on her…she told me to…knowing it would be painful. That’s some strength”.

“You joined the Army” Steve pointed out.

Lana smirked, “I was trying to get as far as possible from life”.

“Yeah?”

Lana looked ahead, at the everyday life going on outside Steve’s car, “I had a brother, Billy. He was- there was always something. My mum loved him more I think…they didn’t know how to look after me. I wasn’t the girly girl they wanted. Maybe they picked the wrong twin”.

Steve covered Lana’s hand, “parents can be complicated…but I don’t think they for once thought they chose the wrong one” he squeezed her hand, “maybe they could see how headstrong you both would be. Look how hard it was for me and Thom”.

Lana grinned, “yeah but that’s just because we were playing”.

“Is there anyone in there we can trust?”

“Other than Kate and Thom?”

“Yeah”.

Lana paused, considering her colleagues, but who did she trust absolutely.

“There’s one”.

Chapter Text

Sonya smiled politely at Hass before he left. She turned her attention to Kate, “you’re not Lana”.

Kate grinned, “she said you were good”.

“Right so come on then” Sonya said, “who are you?”

“Kate Fleming, AC-12” Kate replied and sat beside Sonya, “Lana’s sister”.

Sonya nodded, “didn’t know Lana had a sister”.

“Neither did we” Kate replied, “we were targeted and we think, it’s because of this meeting tomorrow”.

“AC-12? They’re the lot that are coming down tomorrow”.

Kate nodded, “my boss, my boyfriend and Lana will be here. But Lana and I believe there’ll be an attack”.

“An attack? What like an IED?”

“Exactly like that” Kate stated.

“Where’s Lana now?”

“With Steve, my boyfriend”.

Sonya smiled slightly, “and he’s with AC-12 I take it, an actual officer”.

Kate nodded, “we’re DI’s”.

“Definitely different to Lana then”.

“Which is why I need my- her kit”.

“Kate, you can’t be saying w-

“I have to. Lana, has told me the basics but we can’t be too careful. Lana needs her kit and she has 24 hours to tell me what she knows”.

Sonya nodded and moved over to a locked door, “a lot could go wrong with this. You could be killed. You’re not even trained”.

“You had men in balaclavas here the other day. They wanted to cause a scene, I think, they wanted to find an easy way in”.

Sonya handed across a kit, “and you deal with that at your place?”

“My boyfriend was thrown over a balcony by a man in a balaclava” Kate said, “and an OCG member lured me to a location to shoot me because I was doing my job. Lana told me AC-12 had an IED. There’s two people who want to harm us. Or eliminate us to do worse”.

“Christ. And you think Lana is going to stop if there’s an IED here? That she’ll just stay still?”

“We think they’ll do two devices” Kate said, “one for me to supposedly stop and when I don’t, another to kill Lana”.

“There’s lots of devices that people can use”.

“I know. But we’re banking on them using basic models” Kate stated and checked the kit, “yep. Her snips are there”.

“You’re so like her” Sonya commented, “I would’ve thought it was but…”

“But what?”

“Let me see your tattoo?”

Kate held out her wrist, “what’s wrong with it?”

“It’s recent. Lana’s is much more faded…here” Sonya moved over to her cupboards and searched, “okay…where is….ah!” she pulled out a green box and smiled at Kate, “it’s only a balm I used to clear up inflammation but…it’ll do the trick for your tattoo for a bit. Is it itchy?”

“A bit…lucky it’s not infected. Perfect match for hers” Kate stated.

“It is. Just a little red”.

Kate applied some of the balm and looked at Sonya, “do you trust Lana?”

“Of course”.

“Do you have any earpieces? For me and Lana to use?”

“I do…they’re discreet, but only you and Lana can use them. Hold on” Sonya riffled through her draws before coming across two small pieces of technology she’d been working on.

“It’s a working progress but these are the demos…”

“Made them in your spare time?”

Sonya grinned, “only so many bits of data I can analyse before I go insane”.

“Lana is at work”.

“Kate isn’t at AC-12 today. Neither is Steve”.

“Reckon they switched?”

“No…I would hazard a guess to say the annoying one is hiding at her real flat”.

“Keep observing. Watch her”.

Kate approached Thom’s desk and sat down. Checking that nobody was around she fired off a text to Lana.

Kate: I have the snips

Lana: Good. Anyone suspect?

Kate: Sonya guessed straightaway. John- unsure.

Lana: Stay away from him.

“Lana”.

Kate looked up and narrowed her eyes as John approached, “what?”

“Touchy. Still not got your memory back?”

Kate rolled her eyes, “if you haven’t got anything useful to fucking say, piss off”.

“You see it’s that attitude that makes your team not trust you” John tutted, “Danny included”.

“Danny trusts me fine. It’s you that shouldn’t be trusted”.

John smirked, “and why is that?”

“I’ve done my research. You tried to kill me a few weeks ago. I might’ve forgotten it, but it’s there in black and white”.

“And you shagged a terrorist. Maybe your friends think you aren’t worth bothering saving next time you get kidnapped”.

Kate stood, “is that a threat?”

John moved towards her, “yes” he hissed.

Kate swung her arm out but Thom’s arms grabbed her. Holding her back, “Lana!” he yelled.

“He fucking threatened me!” Kate snapped, “saying I’ll get kidnapped again!”

Thom stared at John, “leave. Now!”

John raised his hands in mock surrender, “I said nothing. She’s crazy. Maybe she came back to work too quickly. Can’t be too careful with memory loss” before he left the room.

Kate struggled in Thom’s grip, “get off me”.

“No”.

“Fucking let me go!” Kate snapped as Thom all but dragged her away and into a corridor, “let me fucking go!”

Thom relented and watched Kate pace up and down.

“He’s a fucking psycho! You know what he said earlier? Ey!? He fucking said that not raping me was a missed opportunity!”

Thom ran a hand through his hair, “Ka-

Kate looked up sharply.

“Lana” Thom corrected, “breathe. Breathe with me okay. Take my hands”.

Kate shook her head, “don’t fucking start. I’m not panicking I’m gonna fucking set an IED and shove it up his arse!”

She paced again, walking up and down, swearing as she did, “I need some fresh air”.

Thom nodded and moved towards the lifts with her.

“Alone”.

Thom paused, “is that safe?”

“I can deal with it” she snapped and stormed into the lift.

Lana watched Kate storm out of her workplace and head straight towards a café. She nudged Steve, “call her”.

“Sure?”

Lana looked at a message from Thom.

Thom: Kate has left the building. Keep an eye on her, John riled her up. Could be onto her?

“Call her” Lana repeated.

Steve nodded and when Kate answered, put her on loudspeaker.

“I am going to make an IED and shove it right up his arse”.

“John?” Lana asked.

“No the pope. Yes that fucking waste of space!”

Lana smirked, “I could teach you”.

“Uh murder aside” Steve cut in, “you okay sweetheart?”

“I will be. Christ…he’s a prick. How does nobody else not see it?”

“Tell me about it” Lana grumbled, “said he had something to do with the bombings but nobody believed me”.

“Men”.

“Oi!”

“Boyfriend not included” Kate added.

“Oh cheers” Steve replied, “see if I give you a footrub tonight”.

“You want sex” Kate retorted.

Lana shot Steve a look, “not in my bed. Pretty as you are to look at I don’t want to hear you have sex”.

Steve smiled and shook his head, “Gaffer called. Said he’d meet us here tomorrow…wouldn’t it be safer for you to swap now? Lana’s dressed as you are. Could easily go back in and fool them”.

“He’s right” Lana pointed out, “and if there is an IED tomorrow, it means you’re away from it”.

“I’d be in as you, you’d be in as me, surely, if their plan is for you to be inside first, then it makes sense for us to stay as we are”.

Lana nodded, “blue or red?”

“Blue”.

“Tilt switch?”

“Keep it level, snip the second”.

Lana smiled, “phone?”

“Cut the tape, sim card out”.

“Why?”

“Because the one in charge of the primary command unit has to input a four digit code to activate, or send a text. If the phone has no sim, it can’t be activated”.

Lana grinned at Steve, “not bad for 3 hours”.

“She’s good at remembering” Steve said, “told her my phone number the day we met and she’s never forgot”.

“Cause you send me dick pics”.

Steve went red, “do not”.

“Thom’s on his way over to you” Lana said as she spotted her boyfriend walk across the road.

“Cheers”.

Thom walked into the café and bought two lattes before joining Kate, “you okay?” he asked quietly.

Kate nodded, “you know I have a son?”

Thom’s eyes went wide, “yeah?”

Kate smiled slightly and nodded, “Josh…he’s nearly 13”.

“Wow…” he grinned, “he Steve’s?”

“No…past relationship- well, marriage actually”.

Thom nodded, “take it you’re divorced now then”.

“Yep” Kate sipped her latte, “I can see why Lana hates John”.

“Lana’s always hated John” Thom stated, “the rants she used to go on…she’s right to- never tell her I said she was right, I won’t hear the end of it”.

Kate chuckled, “no promises”.

Thom chuckled, “you know…you were as feisty as Lana back there. If I didn’t know any better I’d say you were her”.

Kate winked, “could be”.

Thom sipped his latte and looked at the car that Steve and Lana were in, “speaking, officer to officer, what do you think will happen tomorrow?”

Kate rubbed her tattoo with her thumb, “AC-12 will join you. There’ll be some bullshit about figures, budgets, money etc etc and I’d imagine men in balaclavas will enter through the service hatch. Doors could have an IED placed against them trapping everyone inside. They would plan to have the EXPOs inside too…nobody can get out”.

“So, wouldn’t it be wise to have Lana hold back”.

Kate looked at Thom, “we know what we’re doing. And I know you and Steve have your own plan should it fail”.

“We care about you both”.

“If it’s our time, it’s our time. I’ll be outside the doors, looking for the absence of the normal”.

Thom smiled, “sounding like an EXPO more and more now Kate”.

Kate shrugged, “I do undercover back home- well, I used to. I got into a habit of learning and assimilating quickly”.

Thom nodded, “you nervous about tomorrow?”

“Terrified” Kate stated, “don’t tell them…I’m just…worried. John today, he set me on edge, next time I’m kidnapped. Was he saying it to me or to Lana”.

Thom sipped his latte, “I’ll keep an eye on him. You, go on off home. Get some rest”.

“I should go back in”.

“You’ve done enough for now. If anyone asks, I’ll say you had a headache and with the memory loss I sent you home”.

Kate sighed and nodded, “I am shattered…”

“And it’ll do you no good to be shattered and looking at an IED. Go on. Get off”.

Kate gripped her coffee cup and stood, “thanks…I’m sure I’ll see you tonight”.

“Yep. Lana said to give you and Steve some alone time so she’s sneaking out to my place”.

“Oh is she now?” Kate grinned.

Thom flushed, “we’re trying to make it work and after thinking her dead for 3 weeks? I want to make it work more than ever”.

“She’s onto me. Thom sent her home today, but I got under her skin”.

“Good…good. And tomorrow?”

“Three IED’s in place. Kate will be near them all. Lana, hopefully will be inside, powerless to do anything”.

“Nicely done. The other EXPOs?”

“Inside too. Slipped a nice little letter from Home Sec that we need two EXPO reps in to discuss measures in counter terror up with AC-12”.

“This time tomorrow…”

John hung up the phone and pocketed it. He looked up at Lana’s flat, seeing Lana in the arms of a man that wasn’t Thom. He smirked, earlier, he’d seen the same woman leave the flat with Thom. So, this one was Kate. And the man, must be her partner, Steve.

He watched as Steve unbuttoned Kate’s shirt and held up his phone, making sure to take a few photos in case it came in handy later.

Chapter Text

Kate kissed Steve, enjoying the way his hands felt against her skin.

“Lana said not the bed” Steve breathed in-between kissing.

“Lana also said she’s off to Thom’s for an hour. Can hardly tell us off for having sex when she’s doing the same” Kate chuckled and pushed Steve to the sofa, straddling him, “missed you”.

Steve kissed her neck, his hands sliding up her body, teasing against her ribs before he looked at her, grinning.

Kate smiled and kissed him before holding her arms up, letting him remove her bra. Steve grinned as Kate pulled at his shirt. Throwing it to the floor, Steve turned them so she was lying on the sofa.

“Thank god she’s got a long sofa” he chuckled and unzipped his jeans.

Kate laughed, “might have to ask where she got it…pretty comfy too”.

Steve kissed her again as Kate’s hand slipped down his jeans, “that doesn’t help” he whimpered and smiled.

“Don’t want me to touch you?” Kate teased.

“Tease” Steve breathed and hurried to rid Kate of the rest of her clothing as she did the same to him.

“Condoms?” Kate whimpered as he peppered kisses down her body, “no marks remember”.

Steve looked up, “condoms…uh shit…no”.

“S’some in the bathroom” Kate breathed.

Steve nodded, “whereabouts?”

“Top shelf of the cabinet”.

Steve returned, condom in hand and smiled at her, “s’beautiful sight”.

“Oh get over here, you ain’t gotta flatter me, I’ve missed you” Kate laughed and pulled him close, kissing him as she ran her hands through his hair.

Steve moved to the sofa with her, he rested above her, wrapping her legs around his waist.

Kate stroked his face and smiled, “I love you”.

Steve grinned, “yeah?”

“Yeah” she chuckled, “is that such a surprise?”

“No no, just…that’s the first time you’ve said it. I love you too” he smiled and slipped a finger against her, “oh so much”.

Kate shut her eyes and smiled, “missed that finger”.

“What about this one?”

“Oh definitely that one too” she grinned and looked at him. Steve grinned and kissed her as he took his time, pushing her to a peak before cruelly pulling away.

He looked at Kate, on the edge and pushed himself in, going slowly to make her moan.

Kate gripped his shoulders, digging into them as she got used to him.

“You good?”

“Very” Kate breathed and tilted her hips up to let Steve grip her waist.

Steve began to thrust slowly, capturing her lips in a kiss, being mindful to not leave a trace that might give her up tomorrow.

“Jesus” he groaned, “fuck, feel so good. Always feel so good”.

Kate whimpered, “can’t hold it…been too long”.

“Don’t hold it baby” he murmured and kissed her shoulder, closing his eyes as he sped up.

Kate cried out and clenched around him, pulling him in tighter.

“Oh god! Kate!” Steve groaned as he came, “fuck you wicked woman, knowing exactly what that does to me”.

Kate looked up at him and smiled, stroking his face, “you wanna spend the rest of our time alone in the shower?”

Steve grinned, “oh yes”.

Lana smirked at Thom, “was that you actually saying I’m right?”

Thom flushed, “might’ve been”.

Lana smiled at him, “I’m glad we’re making a go of it again”.

“Me too” Thom smiled back and rubbed her arm, “we’ve given them an hour or so…let’s go back. Have some food and get an early night. All of us need to be on our best tonight”.

Lana nodded, “pretty sure I’m gonna need a new sofa”.

Thom laughed, “pretty sure we slept on that sofa a few months ago”.

“Oh yeah” Lana laughed, “reckon I spilt spaghetti down the side of it the other month”.

Thom placed his hand on the small of her back and looked around, “it’s eerily quiet for London”.

“Mmm…” Lana looked and saw Steve’s car, “least we’re back. And my home is still standing”.

Thom gently tugged her hood up over her head, “easy does it”.

“Thanks” Lana offered and slipped her hand into his, squeezing it lightly.

“Once this has all gone…you wanna take a holiday?”

“With me going off at every terminal for all my shrapnel?” Lana joked.

“Of course” Thom smiled, “you’re not you without it”.

Lana leaned against him and smiled as he kissed her head before leading her up the steps to her flat.

Kate was in the kitchen cooking and Steve was laying the table when they walked in.

Lana smiled, “this looks nice”.

Kate grinned, “well not sure exactly what to do the night before an attack so just threw a few things in a pan”.

“She’s lying, she made her famous lasagne” Steve said.

“Famous lasagne?” Lana questioned.

“She sticks crisps on top of the cheese, think it’s why I fancied her-

“You had your eyes on me before you knew I could cook Arnott” Kate smirked, “it’s nearly ready”.

“Well it smells lovely Kate, thanks” Thom said and took his jacket off as Lana took her hoodie off.

Lana eyed the sofa and Steve who blushed and turned his head, “got a bottle of red in the cupboard. At least, I think I do”.

“On it” Thom said and moved towards it.

Lana stepped back to survey the sudden domestic situation she was in. Her sister, cooking, her sisters boyfriend making sure the table looked nice for them all. And her boyfriend, pouring them all a glass of wine.

A few months ago, she never thought she’d see this sight. A family meal. A happy family meal. But now she had it, it burnt.

What if this was her last one?

Don’t go thinking that Wash. If it’s your time, it’s your time Nut’s voice said in her ear. She smiled slightly and touched her tattoo.

“Better make it a good one” she murmured to herself.

Lana hovered beside Steve as Hastings approached, “you okay?” she murmured.

“As I’ll ever be”.

Lana slipped her hand against Steve’s, “I’m not going to lie to you and say she’ll be fine. She might not. But you trust her enough to try?”

“Yeah”.

“Then focus on that. When you see her, be surprised”.

“Kate! Steve!”

Lana turned to Hastings and then looked warily at him, “Gaffer?”

Hastings smiled, “memory slowly getting there lass?”

“Yeah” she half smiled, “bits and pieces coming back to me”.

“Good. Hopefully after this meeting is over a few more pieces will slip into place” he smiled, “Chief is already in the building so we best go inside”.

Lana followed Hastings into her workplace, looking at the security screenings she walked through most days.

She gripped Steve’s hand, “I’ll bleep”.

“What?”

“I’ll bleep. I don’t know how Kate’s gotten through-

“Kate has a steel plate in her wrist” Steve murmured, “nasty break when she was 5”.

Lana breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, “okay” before depositing her belongings into the offered box and walking through the scanner.

 “Shrapnel again Lana?”

Lana looked up and saw one of the security guards- James? She blinked, “uh…who?”

“Oh shit sorry, long morning”.

“My names Kate” she said, “Kate Fleming, I’m with AC-12?”

James’ eyes went wide, “wow, uh sorry. You just…you look a lot like someone who works here”.

Lana nodded, “probably just got one of those faces” before she was patted down. She waited patiently as Steve walked through and collected his belongings before they ascended in the lift.

They’d agreed Thom would meet them, it was agonising, going up in the lift. Waiting for it to stop. Lana wondered what part of the building Kate was in and whether or not that Chief had found her.

Hastings stepped out first, searching for Thom. He smiled when he saw him, “ah you must be the man we’re looking for”.

“DCI Thom Youngblood” Thom greeted, “Superintendent Hastings, I presume?”

“It is indeed lad, let me introduce you to my DI’s, this is Steve Arnott”.

Steve shook Thom’s hand, “nice to meet ya”.

“And DI Kate Fleming”.

Lana reached her hand out to Thom, and as practised, Thom’s mouth opened.

“Is there something wrong lad?”

Thom licked his lips, “no no sorry. Hi Kate, no it’s just” he shook Lana’s hand, “you are the spitting image of one of our EXPOs, not got a twin sister have you?”

“Might do” Lana chuckled, “had an accident a few weeks ago so lost my memory…so I might get smacked if I’ve forgotten her and she exists”.

Thom laughed, “Lana is feisty but she’s brilliant at her job- don’t tell her I said that” he winked.

“So this meeting, it’s held through-

“Through here Sir. Actually it’s just about to start, we were getting worried about you”.

“Our Chief does like to start early if he can” Hastings lamented.

Kate looked at her team, Lana’s team, Hass and Danny. Stood in the meeting room, John was nowhere which was to be expected. He’d be halfway to France if he had any brain cells left.

She watched the doors open and saw them. Thom, Steve, Hastings and Lana.

She smiled slightly, she’d not seen Hastings for a long time, it was nice to see him again.

A pin could be heard, as chatter died at their entrance. All of Lana’s colleagues thinking the same thing. She looked for Danny and Hass, spotting them with ease. She saw Danny stand up straight almost instantly.

Lana kept the rouse of looking around in awe at everything. Steve’s arm lightly touching hers to keep some form of contact.

“Now that we have our missing AC-12 officers, I suppose we can begin” Chief Osborne stated. Eyeing Lana.

“So, with recent bombing campaigns, we need to rethink our budgets, ascertain where needs cutting and what better place than here. The heart of where all the drama as of late has been happening. Youngblood?” Osborne began.

Thom looked up, “Sir. I’d like to ask a few members of our EXPO team to talk you through-“ Thom cut off as a door slammed and two men entered, both wearing balaclavas.

“Nobody gets in, or out” they yelled and pointed two rifles around the room, “got it?”

Chapter Text

Kate crept around the outside of the room, checking each door meticulously. She’d worn a cap to hide her face, it had been easier than she realised to disguise herself today. Too easy.

“Balaclava men. Two. Blocking exit”.

Kate looked up and touched her ear, “ready to check IEDs, expecting more than one” she relayed back.

“Absence of the normal”

Kate bit her lip, “understood…checking furthest exit now”.

“On the floor!”

Lana followed Steve on the floor. Gripping his hand.

“Not you”.

Steve looked as a gun was pointed at Lana.

“You. Up”.

Lana put her hands in the air as she slowly stood.

“Don’t hurt her!” Steve snapped.

“It’s okay” Lana breathed, “they aren’t gonna hurt me” she looked at the men, “are you?”

Kate stared at the device. Blue and red wires sticking out of it. A timer attached, stating 5 minutes.

She lightly touched one with Lana’s snips.

She looked for the wire that connected to the timer.

“Blue wire” she breathed and lightly slipped the snips under it. She took a deep breath and cut. Shutting her eyes as she did.

Kate waited a few seconds before she opened her eyes and saw the timer was gone.

“Oh thank god”.

Kate shakily stood and moved to touch her ear before she thought about it, no, Lana needed to concentrate. She didn’t need her telling her what she’d done.

She moved to the exit that Steve would’ve used and crouched, a thin wire was at the edge of the door. Meaning if someone were to leave, they’d trigger it.

She followed it up towards a fire alarm that had been opened slightly.

Kate frowned, that was definitely shut yesterday.

She pulled out the snips again and placed one hand against the alarm. Feeling as carefully as she could.

After what felt like a lifetime, she felt a piece of tape. Kate smirked and looked closer, the fire alarm had been screwed back on so Kate pulled out a screwdriver and got to work. Unscrewing and pocketing each screw she gripped the red plastic of the fire alarm and stared at wires, all connecting to the tripwire.

Kate slipped her snips under it and pressed firmly. As they clicked into place, she snipped the tripwire.

Once all wires were snipped she moved down a set of steps and up another, she worked her way around the building, spying on her left, all of the officers on the floor and Lana standing with a gun to her head.

Kate ran quickly and swiped her key on the doors before moving slowly along the second entry point to the meeting room. She kept her eyes alert and looking for another IED.

She saw one more device and looked up at the door.

Lana was facing her.

She touched her ear, “I have an IED outside this door. I promise. I’m here”.

Kate kept as low as she could, and as quietly as she could, lifting off the safety poster that had been a little off-centre she found a hole in the wall. Slotted inside it, was a bomb that made Kate think of the old Looney Tunes cartoons she’d sit and watch with Josh.

“Quite a lot up here ey Doc” she murmured to herself before she spotted a timer.

30

“Oh shit” she breathed.

29

Kate gripped the snips and searched in between the wires, wishing she had a torch. Lana had told her for a timer, blue. But she couldn’t see any blue.

23

Her palms were growing sweaty as the timer ticked down. She looked under wires as carefully as she could.

18

“Absence of the normal...absence of the…” if this IED went off, she along with everyone on this floor would die.

14

“Oh god” she bit her lip and forced the snips under towards the back of the device.

9

Kate pressed down and snipped. Cutting through a wire she couldn’t see and praying for the best.

3

Kate shut her eyes and snipped again. Flinching as the countdown in her head reached 0. Kate counted to ten in her head before she opened her eyes, “oh my” she whispered and sank to the floor.

Lana looked up at the gunmen, “take it this has something to do with my kidnap?”

“Of course” one of the men said, “you’re the annoying one”.

“Oh I’m the annoying one” Lana remarked, “and I thought I was troublesome”.

“Depends on which sister you are” the other stated, “she kicked me in the bollocks”.

“Twice” Kate said from behind them, “now put your guns down or I’ll set this thing off”.

Lana looked at Kate, holding an IED.

The gunmen flinched and put their guns on Kate.

“So which one are you?”

“Well Bill”.

“My name isn’t Bill”.

Kate narrowed her eyes, “well since you both have balaclavas on I can’t tell the difference. So you’re Bill and he’s Ben”.

Bill gripped his gun, “this one is definitely trouble”.

“What’s the matter?” Lana smirked, “can’t you tell us apart?” she walked slowly around the gunmen and kept her hands raised as she backed towards Kate.

“Go on, we’ll make it easy for you” Kate smirked as Lana came to stand beside her.

“See, go on. Guess. And we’ll be fair” Lana teased, “my boyfriend is in the room”.

“So is mine” Kate grinned, “oh shit we’re meant to be nice to them” she looked at Lana.

Lana looked at Kate, “well I have a tattoo”.

“So do I”

The girls sighed and looked at the gunmen, “guess you’ll have to pick which ones which” Lana stated.

Ben trained his gun on Kate, “you. You’re the EXPO”.

Kate held up the IED and examined it, “aren’t IED’s meant to tick?” she questioned and handed it to Lana.

Lana examined it and shook it, much to the horror of Bill and Ben.

For a fraction of a second, their guard dropped.

Steve looked for Thom and nodded.

Thom ran up towards the front and slammed the panic alarm, sending alarms wailing across the building.

He ducked down as Ben turned around and fired his gun at the window.

Kate gripped Lana’s hand, “no” she whispered.

Lana looked for Thom, furious that Steve and him had their own plans.

“Enough!” Bill snapped and looked at Kate and Lana, “kneel”.

“Which one?” Kate asked.

“Both of you!” Ben snarled.

Kate knelt and watched as Lana knelt. Looking at the IED she’d brought with her.

Kate caught Steve’s eye and looked for the Gaffer. She found him and saw bewilderment across his face. To his mind, there were now two Kate Fleming’s. She looked at Ben, “probably been a long time since a woman knelt down for ya”.

Lana smirked, “bet he’s never had a girlfriend”.

Bill moved towards them both quickly, pressing a gun to Kate’s head as he looked at Lana, “the device”.

“You wanna stop it? Be my guest” Lana said and handed it to him. Kate eyed the gun, “but can you stop the clock?”

Ben smacked Kate in the head with the butt of the gun. Knocking her to the floor.

“That was for my balls” Ben spat.

“Sure it wasn’t me?” Lana questioned as Kate touched her forehead, looking at the blood.

Ben eyed Lana and smacked her head.

By luck, they were struck in the same place. Lana felt Kate move towards her, she brushed the blood away from her face and looked at her.

“This IED is dead” Ben said as he turned to Bill.

Kate and Lana looked at each other before moving up and tackling Ben down. Lana remained on Ben as Kate grabbed his gun and aimed it at Bill.

“You might wanna rethink your move now Bill?”

Bill aimed his gun at Lana, “shoot me and I shoot her”.

“Do it” Lana said, “shoot him!”

Kate trembled.

“Course, if you’re Kate, you’ve been trained in –

Kate fired twice. Leaving no doubts in who she was to all of the room as she saw Bill’s finger move to the trigger.

Kate looked at Lana, “Steve, arrest him”.

Steve stood and moved towards Ben as Lana got off him.

Lana pulled Kate into a hug, “we got them?”

“We got them” Kate breathed and rubbed her back, holding her tightly.

Hastings stood up slowly and moved towards them, “i-I have to say i-I don’t know what to say” he laughed.

Steve handed Ben across to another officer and looked for Kate, he grinned at her and pulled her into a hug as Thom moved to Lana.

Both men embraced their girlfriends before Kate smiled at Hastings, “been a while”.

Hastings chuckled, “you can say that…Kate, for real this time, I take it?”

Kate nodded, “yeah, I’m Kate, and this is Lana Washington, my sister”.

Lana smiled slightly at Hastings, “hi”.

“Hello Lass” Hastings smiled, “are you an officer too or-

“I’m an EXPO” Lana stated.

Hastings nodded, “and so I take it, it’s been you up in AC-12 all this time?”

Lana nodded, “neither of us knew”.

Hastings held out his hand, “well, it’s nice to meet you officially Lana”.

“And you Sir” Lana smiled and shook his hand, “I’ll get my team to do a sweep of the building, make sure it’s clear of IED’s”.

She looked across at Danny and Hass and smiled, “my team”.

“Boss” Danny said, “it is you right?”

Lana smiled and nodded, holding out her hand for their handshake, “wanna try?”

Danny laughed and together they performed their handshake much to the amusement of Hass. Once over, she pulled both men into a hug.

“God it’s good to see you both”.

“So you got a sister ey? How comes you never knew?”

“She was adopted” Lana said, “and someone up the top saw we were identical which I think is why we got kidnapped”.

Hass nodded, “got a good likeness to you. Really thought it was- did she disarm that IED?”

“Three of them. Taught her what I could in the time we had”.

Danny nodded, impressed, as he looked at Kate, “you both should probably see a medic about your heads though”.

“Agreed. Sorry, Danny, Hass, can I steal Lana?” Thom said as he hovered near to her.

“There might be a few more IED’s around the building, could be worth checking before everyone leaves” Lana said and Hass and Danny nodded, moving out of the room to check.

Lana smiled and left to follow Thom, leading her to Steve and Kate.

“Gaffer wants our statements” Kate said, “I told him about John”.

Lana nodded, “that chief, the one that took me he was here…he’s not now”.

“Hastings knows” Steve said, “he’s got a few people looking out for him”.

“So ladies, it’s medical and then home” Thom ordered, “and I don’t want any diversions”.

Kate shrugged, “suits me, I’ve got a banging headache”.

Chapter Text

After their medical, Steve drove them back to Lana’s flat only to find a car parked outside.

“Oh no” Lana said.

“What is it?” Kate asked.

“That car…t-those people. They’re my- our parents”.

Kate looked at the two people, stood side by side. She bit her lip, “o-our parents?”

Lana took her hand, “together”.

Kate nodded and followed her out the car, grateful as Steve and Thom stayed behind.

“Mum…Dad” Lana announced, making the couple jump.

“Ay up Duck! We would’ve been sooner but we- “ their Dad started but cut off as he saw Kate.

“Iya” Kate breathed.

“This is Kate” Lana said, “your daughter”.

Their Mum looked towards them and smiled sadly, “I think we need to talk”.

Steve and Thom watched as Kate and Lana walked into Lana’s home.

“Reckon we should drive around for a bit” Steve stated, “give them a chance to get talking”.

“Agreed” Thom nodded, “not sure how long they’ll be so we could go back and see if we can do any of the clear up…statements, your Gaffer looked like he’d stay until it was all done”.

“That’s the Gaffer. Stays put till a jobs finished”.

Thom smiled, “like the sound of him”.

“Just don’t get in his way of a digestive” Steve warned with a smile before reversing out and driving back towards the MET.

Lana introduced their parents quickly, as Jeff and Val, a couple who’d moved from Nottingham after she’d returned from her final tour and after Billy had passed his GCSEs.

Jeff sat and looked at Kate as Val sipped her tea.

“I’d ask who I look more like” Kate joked to try and ease the tension. She had a bad feeling about all this.

Val smiled slightly, “well…we never expected this”.

“You never expected me to find my sister?” Lana asked as she sat beside Kate, “what the fuck?”

“Lana” Jeff warned.

“No. You gave her up and what? Suddenly decided you would never let me know?”

“No, no that’s not it no” Jeff argued, “no” he rubbed his head, “no…you were too young to remember Billy but-

“No I fucking do remember my kid brother who fucking got murdered a few months ago!” Lana snapped.

“I think what your father is trying to say, is, you were too young to remember me being pregnant” Val cut in.

Lana paused, “well- I mean…you must’ve been…I would-“

“You see Ducky, your mother and I well, we tried for children but…we were never blessed so we looked into adoption”.

“a-Adoption” Lana breathed, “w-what with Billy?”

“Both of you” Val said, “we were lucky both times”.

“So you adopted me and not her?” Lana snapped.

“Well we- uh” Jeff began, “we only had the space for…we just had a tiny flat and we weren’t earning much money then-

“So you decided oh no we’ll take one baby and then leave the fucking other!”

“Lana” Jeff sighed.

“No. Fuck off!”

Kate placed her hand over Lana’s, “were you told w-who our parents were? Given any forms?”

Jeff shook his head, “you were both found abandoned at a bus stop…”

“Why didn’t you tell me I had a sister?”

“What good would that have done?” Val said and rubbed her eyes, “we are your parents. And we love you as though we made you!”

Lana rolled her eyes, “you kept this secret from me for fucking years!”

“Well would you want to know you were adopted?!” Val suddenly snapped.

“I was told” Kate said softly.

“And did it do you any good?” Jeff asked, calmly.

Lana thought she saw Kate tense slightly before she nodded, “of course. Knowing I had a shit start but that someone wanted me…it was nice. Didn’t make me wonder who my parents were at all”.

Lana stared at her parents, “so we were both adopted”.

“So it seems…and Kate, Duck, if we had the money for two we would’ve had you both” Jeff said, “in a heartbeat. But I’m glad you found some parents who loved you just as much as we love Lana”. He squeezed Kate’s hand, “I’m sorry we can’t be your real parents”.

Kate nodded and rubbed her wrist, “thanks”.

“We should go…I bet you girls have got a lot to catch up on” Jeff smiled.

“Yeah” Kate breathed and stared at the walls, “lots”.

“Come on Val. We’ll be in touch Lana. It was nice to meet you Kate” Jeff said and held Val’s hand before leading her out of Lana’s flat.

Lana stared at Kate, “you lied”.

Kate nodded and stood, moving to get herself a glass of water.

“Why?”

Kate remained quiet, letting her thoughts settle before she looked at Lana, “being told you were adopted…I can see if you were told, they still would’ve made you feel loved. Wanted”.

“But you weren’t?”

Kate shook her head, “I tell people I was a baby when I was adopted but I was 3”.

“3?”

Kate nodded and sipped her water, “apparently I cried a lot…people didn’t want that”.

Lana moved over to her, “maybe you just wanted me”.

Kate smiled slightly, “you angry at them?”

“Pissed yeah. If you just want one baby, why bother splitting up a twin? Plenty of babies need adopting that don’t have a twin” Lana grumbled.

Kate shrugged, “if you wanna adopt why bother if you spend their life messing them up. Listen, I’m sure you want me and Steve out of your flat so when he comes back I’ll book us a hotel-

“No…stay a bit longer” Lana said, “I never tell anyone anything, I bottle it. So do you. With the boys gone we might as well unbottle it…isn’t that what sisters do?”

Kate smiled slightly, “I guess it is”.

Steve arrived with a takeaway bag to find Kate and Lana sat on the sofa, one of the sisters was resting against the other.

He glanced at Thom, “yours or mine?”

One of them glanced at him, “yours is asleep” she said to Steve.

Steve beamed, “Lana, lovely as ever”.

Lana stuck her tongue out, “knob”.

Steve grinned and put the takeaway down before moving to the sofa, “how’d your parents take it?”

“They adopted me” Lana said nonchalantly, “turns out we were abandoned in a bus stop when we were babies”.

Thom moved to Lana and rubbed her shoulder, “sorry”.

Lana leaned against him, “is what it is” she mumbled, “god I bet it pissed them off when I said I wanted to join the army”.

Thom chuckled, “yeah can’t imagine most parents being too thrilled with that” before he kissed her head, “we got takeaway…your favourite. And Kate’s apparently”.

Steve sat beside Kate and eased her against his shoulder, holding her he murmured softly, “sweetheart…dinner?”

Kate rubbed her nose against his shoulder, “Steve?” she murmured.

“Mm, it’s me” he smiled and stroked her face, “come on sleepyhead…got a curry for you”.

Kate opened her eyes slowly and looked at him, “hey” she kissed him lightly and smiled, “I’m so lucky I have you”.

Steve grinned, “s’brought this on ey?” he kissed her head and looked at Lana who shook her head.

Steve squeezed Kate’s thigh, “come on you, else I’ll eat your Naan bread”.

“You dare an’ I’ll make an IED and stick it to your knob”.

“Tilt switch style” Lana grinned.

“Mmm what she said” Kate said and stretched.

Kate rested her head against Steve’s shoulder as they lay in bed together later, “you gonna tell me what your parents are like?”

Kate sighed, “they’d adopted Lana…we were both abandoned as babies…”

“So you don’t know who they are then?”

Kate sniffed and shook her head, gripping Steve, “I thought, when I met Lana that maybe…maybe I had parents. I mean I just thought”.

“I know sweetheart” Steve murmured and rubbed her back, “I know…we’ll find them. I bet there’s some press coverage for the time. We can find something sweetheart” he kissed her gently.

Kate gripped him and kissed back, she stroked her hand down his body.

Steve gripped her waist, pulling her onto his lap as he deepened the kiss, “oh Kate” he murmured, “let me show you…show you how wanted you are”. He kissed down her neck and let his teeth graze her neck, “let me” he murmured.

Kate nodded and took off her shirt, throwing it to the floor.

Steve smiled up at her, slipping his hands under her breasts, “oh darlin” he smirked, “you’re gorgeous”.

Kate bucked her hips, “get those boxers off”.

Steve chuckled, “oh so demanding” he turned them and pressed against her, rubbing his crotch to hers, “say please”.

Kate rested her arms around his shoulders, “please” she smiled, “and m’knickers”.

Steve laughed and tugged off his boxers before kissing her, feeling for Kate's knickers he pulled them off.

“Oh you beautiful, wicked woman” he groaned and wrapped her legs around his waist, “you know how much I love you?”

“Lots” Kate breathed as he pushed in, “lots”.

“Lots ey?” Steve grinned and pushed in further.

“Oh god yes” Kate whimpered.

“Shh” he chuckled and breathed against her neck, “shhh we’ll wake them up”.

Kate giggled, “feels weird having sex an’ trying to keep quiet”.

“Not used to keeping your voice down are you” he teased before jolting his hips.

“Oh!” Kate cried out, “Steve!”

Steve chuckled and sucked against her neck, “inside voice Fleming” before he jolted his hips again.

Kate squeezed her legs around his waist, “oi”.

Steve smirked, “want me to do it again?”

“Nooooo” Kate whimpered, “don’t you dare you prick”.

Steve eyed her and jolted again.

“Oh you’re a dick” she moaned, “fuck…again”.

Steve thrusted quickly, ignoring the demand to jolt. Kate whined and gripped his shoulders.

“Oh Steve” she breathed, “fuck”.

“I love you Kate” he whispered and kissed her, moving her legs slightly up so he could push deeper, “so much. I’ve loved you for so long my darlin’”

She moaned and gripped the sheets, “jesus…Steve i-I can’t hold”.

“Never hold” Steve murmured, “never hold” he kissed her and thrusted slower, “oh darlin’ you look so beautiful…I’m gonna cherish this moment”.

Kate flushed and as Steve jolted his hips again, “you dick” she moaned as she came.

“Oh darlin’” he chuckled and kissed her, thrusting faster, “baby I’m gonna come”.

Kate nodded, “come” she panted, “come”.

Steve thrusted once more before he came, groaning, “oh god Kate”.

He collapsed to the side of her, panting. Kate turned on her side and smiled at him, stroking his neck.

“Love you too y’daft man”.

There was a knock at the door.

“Not that I haven’t enjoyed hearing you get off, but your Gaffer is here”.

Kate went red, “oh shit”.

Steve sat up, “fuck”.

Chapter Text

Kate and Steve emerged sheepishly from Lana’s room and saw Hastings sat looking equal parts flustered and embarrassed.

“Sir” Kate said, glad she was wearing more appropriate clothing than Steve’s shirt and a pair of knickers.

“Kate…Steve. I uh I wouldn’t do this normally, however the situation is pressing. I’ve been sent a series of photos to my personal work email of what I assume is yourself and Steve in a well, I would say compromising but given what I have just heard I’ll say, awkward situation”.

Kate sat down and took the photos offered to her as Steve stood by her side.

They both looked at them and went red, “do we know who took them?”

“Well, I was hoping that between the two of you, I could have a timeframe?”

“Between 8 and 9 yesterday” Kate stated, “Lana and Thom weren’t here”.

Lana caught a glance of the photos and raised her eyebrows, “that angle…John”.

“Hudson?” Kate asked.

Lana nodded, “all the EXPOs know where I live. It’s more of an emergency thing in case in the middle of the night we get called out and need a ride”.

Thom covered Lana’s hand, “so you’re saying you were sent these images today Sir?”

Hastings nodded, “just a little under an hour ago. I was at my hotel when an email alert popped up. You’re sure it’ll be that John fella lass?”

“Well, no…I mean, your Chief took me from here. They’d both know where I lived but…”

“Well, either way we’ve got teams out looking for them both. But I would perhaps suggest you both going off into a safe house”.

Steve squeezed Kate’s shoulder, sensing she’d snap out a refusal, but when she didn’t he looked at her.

“I’ll give you half an hour to pack…I’m sorry it’s not longer”.

“So you just think we’re going to agree?” Lana asked, raising her eyebrow, “just like that?”

“Lana” Thom warned.

“No. Fuck that. No. We were targeted in our own homes and now you’re asking us to fuck off and go to a so called safe house?! I’m not going. I’m not being forced out of my home just because of a pair of fucking nutjobs!” Lana exploded and stood up, “unless you’ve forgotten, your officer disarmed not one, but three IEDs today. That takes years to understand, to get to grips with and not fucking panic! But Kate did it. Kate stopped you all from blowing up and now you want us to hide?”

“I need a few minutes” Kate murmured and moved towards the bathroom, she locked it and Lana glared at Hastings, “you see what you’ve done” before she moved over to her bathroom and knocked lightly, “it’s me”.

The door opened enough for Lana to slip in before it locked again.

Hastings sighed, “if she had let me finish. I would’ve added that if either of you felt that you should be with them you can”.

Steve nodded, “can’t imagine locking those two up alone would do anyone any good”.

Thom smirked slightly, “and I can’t imagine leaving you at their mercy”.

Steve grinned, “I know how to stop Kate. It’s Lana that would walk all over me”.

Thom chuckled, “haribo does the trick”.

“So you’ll both go with them?”

Steve and Thom nodded, “yes sir”.

“I’ll let them know. Pack. I’ll make sure the girls don’t sneak off”.

Kate was sat in the shower, knees up to her chest as Lana vented her frustration about witness protection.

“-and why the fuck would we even want to?!”

Kate stared at Lana, “I have a son” she said quietly, “and I’ve not seen him in nearly 2 months. I don’t see him often. I lost custody. You’re an aunt, Lana. He’s 12 years old and I don’t want to have him grow up without a mum. You had one growing up. Yes. She wasn’t your birth mum but she was your mum. The one that adopted me told me regularly that I was just a kid she adopted. That I want her daughter so don’t bother considering myself as one. My son didn’t have that. He knows that despite his father and I not living together or being together, that he is loved and wanted. And if witness protection can give me a chance of seeing him again. I’ll take it. However long it takes”.

Lana looked at Kate, “12?”

Kate nodded, “12”.

Lana moved and sat down beside Kate, “can I teach him how to down a pint?”

Kate snorted, “when he’s old enough yeah”.

“And tricks to piss his dad off?” Lana grinned and nudged Kate.

Kate smirked, “is that Aunty Lana trying to be the fun aunt?”

“S’cuse me. I am the fun aunt” Lana stated in mock annoyance.

Kate nodded and rubbed her knee, “better than Mark’s sister. Can’t fucking do any right in her eyes”. 

“I’ll hide an IED in her toilet. When she needs to go- boom!” Lana added and made an explosion gesture with her hands.

Kate chuckled.

There was a knock at the door.

“Hmmm pretty boy or bossy?” Lana questioned.

“I heard that” Thom replied from outside the door.

Lana stood and opened the door, “good. Don’t need to get a hearing test”.

Thom rolled his eyes, “Steve and I are coming with you both. So if you could please pack a bag Lana”.

Lana looked at Kate and nodded, “alright” and moved out of the room to pack.

Thom blinked and looked at Kate, “didn’t think it would be that easy”.

He helped Kate to stand, “you okay?”

“I’ve had worse”.

Thom smiled, “you did good today” he rubbed her back, “am I allowed to hug you?”

Kate smirked and nodded, “yeah”. Thom grinned and pulled her into a hug. Tubing her back as he did.

Steve walked up to them, “oh sorry” before he knocked on Lana’s door, “Kate sweetheart?”

Kate looked at him and Lana opened the door.

“Oh pretty boy. It’s a good job you’re in a relationship”.

Steve rolled his eyes, “wrong pretty girl” before he turned and smiled at Kate, “you pair are gonna be winding me up for years aren’t you?”

“Got years to catch up on” Kate stated and moved over to him. Hugging him tightly.

Steve rubbed her back and smiled, kissing her neck, “at this safe house…”

“If you keep it down yeah” she murmured and looked up at him, tugging him into a kiss.

Steve stroked her face and held her in the kiss as Hastings coughed.

They pulled away and looked at him.

“As you were” he stated. He smiled at the pair.

“When did this all start then?”

“Few months ago” Steve admitted and slipped his hand into Kate’s, “we just sort of realised…”

Hastings nodded, “I suppose you’ll be wanting your holidays together? After all this I mean?”

Kate nodded, “if that’s okay?”

Hastings smiled and patted her arm, “aye lass. I think after stopping three IEDs you can have that”.

“They’re moving to a safe house…we can’t let that happen”.

“Code it”.

“Yes Sir”.

Kate looked down at her phone and then up at Steve. He was about to get into the car to take them to safety.

“Steve”.

Lana looked across, “Kate?”

Steve looked up, “sweetheart?” he saw the look of sheer terror in Kate’s face, making his way over to her as her knees gave out on her.

“They’ve got Josh” she cried, “they’ve got my baby!”

Steve held Kate tightly and handed the phone across to Hastings.

“Shh it’s okay sweetheart” he murmured and rubbed her back. Kissing her head as he did.

Hastings looked at the photo, “oh lass”.

“Right that’s the bags-“ Thom began as he walked towards them, stopping as he saw Kate sobbing on the floor, Steve comforting her.

He looked at Lana, “they’ve got her son” she stated.

Kate point blank refused to go into witness protection, digging her heels in and mouthing off at anyone who dared to even say Josh’s name. Only Steve was allowed that privilege. She’d gone back to Lana’s after kicking off and set herself down on the sofa. With Steve rubbing her back and reassuring her they would get Josh back.

Lana pulled a blanket over Kate’s shoulders, “Kate…you want a tea?”

Kate nodded and gripped the blanket, “where’s Steve?”

“Thom’s taken him and your Gaffer to work, see if they can contact some people up your way. Get some more intel”.

Kate nodded, “when did they go?”

“About an hour ago”.

“Oh”.

 She looked for the space where Steve had been and saw he’d written her a note.

Won’t be long sweetheart, leaving Lana in charge not sure if that’s a good thing

Kate smirked, “did you cross that out?”

“What? Oh no. I just threatened him until he did” Lana grinned and handed her a mug of tea before joining her on the sofa.

Kate nodded and sipped her tea, “I’ll kill them”.

“I know…I’ll help. I can build a bomb”.

“Rather you didn’t talk about bombs right now” Kate muttered.

“Sorry…coping mechanism…bad stuff happens, I-I make a joke of my life to ease it. Although I couldn’t make a joke about shagging a terrorist”.

Kate looked at her, “nobody can. They blow”.

Lana snorted, “alright, maybe my sister can” she smiled and nudged her, “

“Why did they take him?” Kate asked softly, “my little boy…why”.

“To send us a message. Go into hiding and we’ll hurt more maybe?”

“You should check on your parents” Kate murmured, “if I were them, I’d want leverage on us both”.

Lana nodded and grabbed her phone, “won’t be long” before she moved to her bedroom.

Kate sipped her tea in silence and stared at the photo of Josh on her lockscreen. Taken by Steve at a football game.

“Stay strong sweetheart…mummy’s coming for you” she murmured.

“No mum, I’m fine. So’s Thom…so’s Kate…look, please just be careful okay? Both of you. Don’t let anyone in that doesn’t give you ID alright? That goes for Danny and Hass. I’m sending them round so they can check the house. But please, don’t push anything or prod anything that doesn’t look like’s meant to be there. Absence of anything normal like a phone charger that should be plugged in that isn’t please just be on the lookout”.

Lana hung up and sat on her bed. She rubbed her head and was about to lie down before she remembered a few hours ago she’d had to listen to Kate and Steve.

Standing up she walked back out to the living room and saw it was empty, “Kate?”

A pain exploded in the back of her skull before she fell into unknown arms.

Thom and Steve walked into Lana’s flat silently, “she’s not gonna like it”.

“It’s better than her son” Thom stated, “her ex is dead but her son was hiding out at her flat”.

Steve nodded, “they’re quiet”.

“Mmm…Lana?”

“Kate?”

Steve walked into the living room as Thom walked into the bedroom. Simultaneously, both men stopped dead in the tracks.

Steve stopped as he saw a mess of blankets splattered with blood on the sofa. Thom stopped as he saw a splatter of blood on Lana’s bedroom floor.

The men moved back to each other, a look of horror on both their faces.

“We’ve been played” Steve stated, “we were so distracted with Josh we didn’t stop to think about them”.

“Shit”.

Kate groaned and felt an all too familiar feeling as she woke up.

“Kate?”

“Lana?”

Kate felt a hand touch hers in the dark. She winced, why did that hurt?

“You okay?”

“s’Dark” she murmured, “can’t see anything”.

“It’s light” Lana said quietly.

“o-Oh”.

Kate touched her face and felt for blindfold. Not feeling anything she began to panic, “o-oh i-I I can’t I I can’t see”.

Lana shifted from her position on the floor and moved over to Kate, she saw the panic in her eyes and knelt, “temporary blindness caused by a blow to the head. I had it on a tour. Lasts about an hour or so…”

“What if it’s not temporary” Kate breathed, “what if-

“Don’t think. Not right now. We both need to be on top form”.

Kate nodded and moved to reach Lana’s hand. Lana covered it with hers and squeezed, “they’ll find us”.

“Josh” Kate sniffed, “him”.

Lana nodded and pulled Kate into a hug, rubbing her back, “they’ll find us both”.

Chapter Text

Steve watched as Josh got out of Hastings’ car, searching for a face he recognised, it lit up as he saw Steve.

“Steve!”

Running with his bags straight at Steve, he nearly pulled him to the floor in an effort to find comfort.

“Iya mate” he breathed and rubbed his back, “it’s alright”.

“I didn’t know where else to go…i-I figured you or mum would be at hers and when you weren’t…”

“Me and your mum have been down here. You remember she came back but her memory wasn’t there?”

“Were you seeing a specialist?”

Steve smiled and pulled back, nodding to Thom, “well, not really. You see, your mum and a woman called Lana Washington were both taken and hurt…they lost their memory and I ended up with Lana and Thom here ended up with your mum”.

“What? How did you not notice mum? Ohhhh has she got a twin?”

Thom smiled, “she has” before holding his hand out, “Thom”.

“Josh” Josh said and shook his hand, “so where’s mum now?”

Steve bit his lip.

“N-no. No she-

“We’re going to find her. Just like before” Steve reassured Josh, “she’s going to be found”.

Thom patted Josh’s arm, “we’ll find them both okay? Now whilst you’re down here, there’s a choice of where to stay-

“With Steve” Josh answered immediately.

Steve grinned, “alright well that settles it. Thom has very kindly said we could stay at his flat with him as Lana’s is currently a crime scene”.

Josh looked at the police tape covering a door to a house nearby, “that hers?”

Thom nodded, “Kate – your mum, got sent a threatening message in regards to you and as her and Lana packed, myself and Steve investigated how legitimate the claim was as Hastings travelled up to the Midlands to see if he could find anything out”.

“So you a copper too? Is Lana?”

“Lana is an EXPO- that’s-

“Wow. My aunt sounds cool” Josh grinned, “you reckon they took my mum and Lana cause they’re good at their jobs?”

“Highly likely” Thom nodded, “the people that did this are known to us so we are exploring every possibility. Chances are they were taken back to where they were before. We have a white transit van with Lana’s DNA, we’re trawling back through CCTV of last night to see”.

“But what if they make mum lose her memory again?”

“We’ll get it back” Steve assured him, “y’mum and Lana remembered all on their own before. We know which ones which now”.

“How?”

“Kate got Lana to write her number down on her shoulder”.

“But that only works if the people who took her don’t know that!”

Lana gripped Kate’s hand tightly as the door swung open.

John smirked down at them.

“Just where you need to be. Your boy is dead Kate”.

“No” Lana breathed, “you’re lying!”

“Naa. Got a nice little car bomb. Figured like Lana’s Billy. Opened the door and boom! Him and your ex”.

Kate began to cry, “no no. Not Josh no”  

John smirked and stepped aside as Philip Osborne walked into the room.

“Nice little madness in the Midlands now. Car bomb. Two dead. Now to work on those two nasty officers. Thom Youngblood and Steven Arnott”.

“Don’t you dare!” Lana screamed.

Kate gripped Lana’s hand and looked up, “you touch them. And I will stick an IED IN YOUR STOMACHS!”

Philip flinched and smirked, “is that a threat. DI Fleming?”

“It’s a promise” Lana replied.

John looked at Lana, “I’ll find a way to shut you up before. Don’t you worry”.

Kate stood, “you gotta get through me first”.

Philip laughed and shoved Kate hard.

Lana grabbed her as she off balanced, staring at Philip.

“You won’t get away with this”.

“Oh I will” Philip smirked, “we both will”.

John moved to Lana and she kicked out at him. John grabbed her leg and threw her to the floor. Lana cried out and gripped her arm.

“Bastard!”

Kate looked for the noise and cried out as arms grabbed her.

“No let me go!” Kate screamed.

John laughed in her ear, “scared are we?”

“You stink of BO!” Kate fired and stamped on his foot.

John gritted his teeth and forced Kate to the floor. Pinning her down he looked at Lana, “you’re next” he snarled.

“John!”

Philip snapped, “there’s time enough for that”.

John looked at Philip, “what?!”

“Off”.

John ignored him, turning Kate over he began tugging at her shirt before he was pulled off of Kate by Philip.

Lana moved over to Kate. Pulling her close, “it’s okay” she whispered.

Kate gripped Lana and whispered in her ear, “when you can. Run”.

Lana looked at John. Being held back by Philip.

“You’re a joke of a man John” Lana stated.

“And you’re on a timer” John winked and walked out of the room with Philip. Leaving the two to comfort one another.

Josh looked at the two images of Kate and Lana, “wow…”

Steve smiled, “yeah, hard to tell them apart”.

“I bet…” Josh looked at the photo of his mum, “m-mum’s gonna be okay…she’s strong”.

Steve nodded, “she is…and she’s got Lana with her. They’re both as feisty as each other”.

Josh smiled, “what’s Lana like?”

“Your mum but…with added swearing”.

Josh grinned, “bet she’s fun”.

Thom chuckled, finally speaking after watching Kate’s son for so long, “she is. I’d imagine she’d be the sort to do all the things your mum says no to”.

Josh beamed, “yeah?”

“Yeah” Thom smiled, “just don’t get her started on the dancing. If Lana is on a dancefloor, she’s being supported out of it and moaning about how her head hurts”.

“How’s the vision?” Lana asked softly.

“Better…can see a bit more now…still dark though”.

Lana nodded.

“I’m going to kill them…when we get out, I’m going to kill them”.

Lana rubbed Kate’s hand, “I’ll help”.

Kate rested her head against Lana’s shoulder, “you ever thought about kids?”

Lana chuckled, “no…no I don’t think I’ve ever been that sort…Thom wants kids though”.

“So does Steve”.

Lana smirked, “pretty boy wants to be a Dad?”

Kate grinned, “pretty boy does…”

Lana looked at the door, “I think…kids wouldn’t be so bad…I mean, not that I’m considering it but…I love Thom”.

Kate felt a change go over Lana, she looked to her right, struggling to see her, “Lana?”

“I fucking love him” she sniffed, “christ”.

“Tell him. When we get out, you tell him, okay?”

Lana nodded, “not wasting any more time…might have to move in with him”.

“That’s what I’m doing with Steve. When I get out. Dragging him into my bed and forcing him to stay”.

“Good dog” Lana smirked.

Kate let out a wry grin, “my flat doesn’t feel like home unless Steve is there”.

Hastings looked over at Josh, Thom and Steve. He had his team dealing with the explosion back home and the team in London were using all of their resources to find Lana and Kate. They’d been missing for 24 hours, with each passing hour, hopes were growing thin at finding them alive.

He looked at Kate’s photo, the same one they’d used for her first kidnap and sighed.

“Oh Lass…stay strong for us…” he looked at Josh, falling asleep against Steve. Steve swiftly took his blazer off and draped it over Josh.

It had been a surprise to know that Steve and Kate were in a relationship, but as he looked at Josh, he realised just how right it was.

He moved over to them, “I doubt you boys have eaten all day so I’ll call for a takeaway. I doubt either Kate or Lana will appreciate you skipping meals for them”.

Thom nodded, “you’re right…I’ll go. I could do with the fresh air”.

Hastings nodded, “any recommendations?”

“Greasy and hot” Steve stated.

Thom smiled, “burgers and dirty fries sound good?”

“S’dirty fries?” Josh yawned, slowly moving his head off of Steve’s shoulder.

“Fries with a load of sauces and cheese on it” Thom smiled, “you’ll probably love it”.

Josh grinned and looked at Steve, “can I?”

“Course” Steve smiled, “make that two”.

Thom smiled and looked at Hastings, “Sir?”

“I’m not so sure on those dirty fries but it’s past 8, get us all whatever you think” he smiled and handed over his credit card, “overtime benefits”.

Thom shook his head, “on me Sir…I’ll get some fizzy pop too”.

Kate rested her head against the wall, “why do you think our parents didn’t want us?”

Lana looked up, “ey?”

“We were new-borns…why abandon us?”

Lana brought her knees up to her chest, “maybe they were young…couldn’t cope. I mean, twins is a lot”.

“Mmm…maybe we were just trouble” Kate murmured.

Lana looked at Kate, “don’t say that”.

“s’True though” she sniffed and wiped her eyes, “Steve’s better off without me…my baby…my little boy”.

Lana moved over to Kate, “we don’t know what they said is the truth. Okay? They wanted a reaction out of us…out of Kate. They still don’t know who is who…I’ll bet Josh is at school none the wiser…and Steve is no doubt pacing a hole in my carpet-

“Your flat would be a crime scene” Kate murmured and looked at Lana, finding more of her features were now visible, “you’ve got a bit of blood on your collar”.

Lana smiled, “visions getting there then?”

“Seems it” Kate smirked, “although with the Chief’s ugly mug I wish it wasn’t”.

Lana chuckled, “John ain’t any prettier”.

“I know” Kate smiled and rested her head against Lana’s shoulder, “I don’t need to know who our parents were…I’ve got you. And you’ve got me and your parents”.

“Hardly fair”.

“I’ve also got Steve” Kate countered, “he can be a right mother hen when he wants to be”.

“Oh that I’d pay to see”.

The door opened and slammed against the wall as Philip walked into the room.

Kate focused on the door, seeing a blur of a man in the doorway, “smells like old Sheep”.

Philip sneered at Kate, “you are more of a pain in my side than that Arnold”.

“Arnott” Kate snapped and pulled herself to stand, “his name is Arnott”.

Lana stood, watching Kate, “you know, you shouldn’t trust John, he’ll double cross you”.

Philip laughed, “that I don’t doubt”.

Kate stared at Philip, “and I’m going to kill you”.

Philip started to laugh before he saw how serious Kate was, he looked at her, “well…perhaps I should bring forward my plans”.

He lunged for Kate only for Lana to tackle Kate out the way, taking the brunt of Philip’s weight.

Kate cried out, “Lana!”

Lana shoved at Philip, “run Kate!”

Kate shook her head and grabbed Philip, digging her nails into his neck, “not leaving you”.

Lana kneed Philip in the crotch and shoved him, with Kate’s help to the floor. Lana stood up and gripped Kate’s hand, running with her out of the door.

Steve clicked through CCTV images, Josh was being watched over by Hastings. Steve sighed and rubbed his neck, “nothing on here”.

Thom looked up, “before we had the transit van registered to an address over by an industrial estate”.

Steve nodded and clicked onto the next batch of videos, “time stamp of this one?”

Thom searched for the time and frowned, “should be…ten hours ago”.

“Then I’ve got the wrong file” Steve said, “bloody daylight on this…hang on…it’s live- you get live feed?”

Thom shrugged, “it’s more for a counter terror aspect. We get access to live public CCTV feeds. What street you got?”

“It’s the one about 5 miles from here…Tennis Street”.

“Ah I know it. Actually it has an alley that leads onto the industrial that the van was registered to”.

Steve nodded and looked at it before his eyes widened, “Thom!”

Thom moved across to Steve, “what is it?” before he spotted two women on CCTV.

“Lana” he breathed.

Steve shot up and ran towards Hastings’ makeshift office, “sir we have them! On CCTV near St Pauls!”

Hastings looked up as did Josh.

“You’ve found mum?!”

Steve nodded, “we have” he looked at Thom, “we’re gonna get them”.

“Can I come?” Josh asked.

“Best not son” Hastings stated, “we need no distractions for this, I’ll get a team for you Steve”.

“There’s no time. Just watch them on CCTV” Steve said and ran back to his desk and grabbed his phone, looking at Thom who had the same idea.

“We’ll get to Borough Market and go on foot to the cathedral, looks like they’ve got the same idea”.

Steve nodded and followed Thom out of the MET.

Chapter Text

“S’few more steps” Lana said, “Southwark Cathedral. We can stay there for a bit and make a move to the MET”.

Kate nodded, “they’ll follow”.

“They will. How’s the vision?”

“Better. Like I should be wearing glasses” Kate said, “knee fucking kills though”.

Lana nodded and looked up, spying a CCTV camera, she breathed in, “I hope the boys are looking hard for us”.

“They will be” Kate said and looked towards the large cathedral, Southwark.  She smiled as the noises of London came around them, “safety”.

“Yeah” Lana smiled and gripped Kate tightly, “shit”.

“What is it?”

“Car ahead”.

Kate looked and squinted, “black one?”

“Mmhm…s’parked, two men”.

Kate looked again and smiled, “pretty boy”.

“What?”

“Even with shitty vision, I know Steve. Steve!”

Lana watched as one of the men turned before he began to run towards them.

Kate let go of Lana and ran towards the man. As he grew closer, Steve’s features became more clearer until she was swooped up into a tight hug. Kate latched herself onto Steve and held him tightly.

As soon as Lana realised that the one man was Steve, she realised the other was Thom. She ran towards him, smiling wide as he reached her. She hugged him tightly, a rare display of affection nearly knocking Thom over.

Thom held her tightly, “I’ve been so worried” he murmured and kissed her head.

“I fucking love you alright?” Lana stated and looked at him, “I love you”.

Thom’s eyes went wide, “y-you do?”

“y-Yeah. I do. Shit you don’t-

Thom kissed her hard, “of course I do you bloody idiot” he murmured as he crushed their lips together again.

Kate was content to be on Steve’s waist, hugging him and kissing him repeatedly, “I love you love love you”.

Steve smiled, “love you too darlin’…Josh is with Hastings”.

“josh- he’s alive?!”

Steve grinned and nodded, “he’s alive baby. Was hiding at yours”.

“Then-

Steve’s grin faded, “Mark…there was a car bomb”.

“o-Oh” Kate frowned, “fuck”.

“Come on” Thom smiled, hand in Lana’s, “let’s get you both to safety and this time, a safe fucking house please”.

“No arguments from me” Kate stated, “rather not risk anything again”.

Josh crushed his mother into a hug as the two were reunited, “Mum!”

Kate smiled, “I’ve been so worried about you” she sniffed and rubbed his back, “so bloody worried”.

Lana looked at Josh and smiled slightly, her nephew.

She had a nephew.

Josh pulled back and looked at Lana, “hi”.

“Hi” Lana grinned, “I’m Lana”.

“I know…you’re my cool aunt”.

Lana laughed, “god I hope so” before she beamed at Kate as Josh pulled her into a hug. She rubbed his back and smiled.

Kate watched with Steve holding her and kissing her neck, “when this is all over” he murmured, “wanna move in with me? Both of you”.

Kate nodded and looked at him, kissing him again, “of course”.

Lana smiled at Josh and ruffled his hair, “you’re tall you are”.

Josh grinned, “taller than both my mum and auntie”.

“What do you mean they escaped?!” John snapped, “you said they were asleep!”

“I thought wrong” Philip snarled, “you shouldn’t have riled them earlier!”

“ME?! You were the sad fuck who wanted to have them sobbing over the brat”.

“To make Kate lose her hope” Philip stated, “I knew I should’ve gone with Arnott”.

John rolled his eyes, “well you fucked that one up a treat”.

Kate sipped a glass of wine as she looked out onto the garden. She was curled up on one sofa seat with Steve and a blanket as Lana and Thom occupied the other. Josh was already in bed. The events of the day, having his mum back, finally taking its toll.

After being debriefed, Lana and Kate were allowed to pack a bag before moving onto the safehouse with Steve, Thom and Josh.

Lana rested her head against Thom’s chest and shut her eyes, finally feeling a sense of calm. Thom looked at her and rubbed her back gently, “wanna go on up?” he murmured.

Lana nodded, “kay”.

“Come on” Thom chuckled and smiled at Kate and Steve, “see you in the morning”.

“Yeah night mate” Steve said as Kate watched him carry Lana through the house.

She looked at Steve, “that move of ours”.

“Mmm?”

“How about instead of moving into a flat we find a house…quite like having a garden”.

Steve grinned, “sounds good to me”.

Kate kissed Steve and stroked his face, “we can get a nice place…three bedrooms”.

“Mmm” Steve grinned, “three bed sounds good. Perfect for- hang on, three bedrooms?” he pulled back and looked at her, “you’re not?”

“No I am not!” Kate retorted, “prick. No I’m not pregnant, but one day I’d like to have a baby with you”.

“Yeah?” Steve smiled softly, “you mean that?”

Kate nodded, “I really want a baby with you. Not right now, but you know…in the future”.

Steve stroked her face, “I’d like that too…” he pulled her onto his lap and stroked her arms, “maybe…we could get some practise in”.

Kate laughed, “yeah?” she stroked his face, “pretty sure that’s what Lana and Thom are getting up to”.

“They want a baby?”

Kate shrugged, “I think Lana’s lost…I think she just needs to feel looked after right now”.

“Thom’s the best man for that…like I’m the best man to look after you”.

Kate smiled and kissed him, “you wanna take this up to the bedroom?”

Steve kissed back and stood with Kate on his waist, “that you asking me to carry you?”

“Well now I’m up, be rude not to” Kate grinned.

Josh stared at the four adults, all look suspiciously happy despite their situation.

Thom handed Kate a large coffee as Lana put toast onto a plate, followed by Steve placing a tea in front of Josh.

“Good nights sleep?” Steve asked.

Josh nodded, “you?”

Steve nodded and looked at Kate, “yeah”.

Kate blushed and smiled, “so we thought, since we’re all in this situation, we could do some research”.

“What for?”

Lana sat down and stole a sip of Thom’s coffee, “we wanna find out why we were abandoned”.

Josh nodded, “Dad taught me about hacking”.

“What?!”

Josh flushed and bit his lip, “I mean he didn’t teach me to do it but he just said…a few things”.

Lana grinned at Kate, “I think I’m gonna bagsy giving him his first hangover”.

Kate laughed, “fine by me”.

Josh sipped his tea, “it doesn’t take much….I mean you’re both like 40 right”.

Steve hid a grin as did Thom.

Kate eyed him, “less of that cheek you”.

Josh smiled, “I can find newspaper articles an’ births from the year you were born”.

“1985” Kate stated, “3^rd November”.

Josh nodded, “in Nottingham?”

Kate shrugged, “we’re not sure…maybe. We were just abandoned in a bus shelter”.

Josh sipped his tea, “if I find it all out can I have a PS5?”

“You find our parents you can have an Xbox too” Kate stated.

Josh grinned, “yeah?! Can I get GTA5?”

“No” Kate and Steve chorused before looking at each other and grinning.

Josh rolled his eyes, “you play GTA5”.

“It’s called being a Detective” Kate stated, “and I only drove like that because I thought someone was going to arrest me and have me killed”.

“And you chose Steve’s car to use?”

Kate grinned at Steve, “his car needed a little run-around by an actual driver not a toddler”.

Steve smirked and stroked her thigh under the table, “new clutch later and she’s promised to only drive it in an emergency”.

“Might wanna rub your actual girlfriends thigh there pretty boy” Lana smirked.

Steve went red, “sorry”.

Kate laughed, “right, let’s just eat our breakfast shall we?”

Philip looked at John, “you double crossing snake!”

John smirked and waved his mobile phone, “should’ve done it all my own way from the start”.

Philip struggled in his ties, “you’re a bastard. I should’ve just had you done in when I had the chance”.

“And now you don’t” John grinned, “I’m gonna get them both this time. I won’t waste energy. I’ll strangle them if I have to”.

Philip struggled again, yelling obscenities as John closed the door. He looked at the bomb tied to his lap and struggled harder.

He knew it was futile. But he still struggled, hoping for a miracle as the phone attached to it lit up and the world stopped.

Chapter Text

Thom and Steve were watching TV as Kate, Josh and Lana poured over documents.

“S’explosion” Thom commented.

“Another?”

“Mmm, looking like one fatality at the moment, gonna be hard to identify…heart of the explosion. Shit”.

Steve nodded.

Kate looked up, “shit”.

“Mum!”

Kate moved to the TV, “Lana”.

Lana looked up, “oh shit”.

Josh looked up, “what is it?”

Kate placed her hand on Steve’s shoulder, “phone the Gaffer”.

Steve nodded and got his phone out, “why?”

“That explosion was no accident” Lana stated, “guessing they’re finding remains of an IED?”

Thom nodded, “looks that way. Pretty powerful one too”.

“John” Lana stated, “he did that”.

“Says there was one casualty” Steve said as Kate called Hastings.

“Sir?” Kate answered, “you’ll want a team for that explosion”.

“The warehouse?”

“Yeah…I think the victim will be The Chief”.

Steve sat up, “shit”.

“Alright if Thom swears I’m allowed to swear” Josh stated.

“No chance” Lana replied, “he’s a good boy” she added, looking at Thom who blushed and turned his head.

“Let’s watch some footie” Thom offered, “got a team you wanna watch the highlights of Josh?”

“Forest, but we’re nearly onto who abandoned them so I’m happy to wait”.

Thom nodded, “well, I’m going to watch my team’s highlights if that’s alright. I’ll pause it if Forest pop up. Steve, you got a team?”

“Celtic”.

Thom smiled, “but you aren’t Scottish?”

“No, but my Mum is” he grinned, “said she had a season ticket when I was about 3 so we’d go up. Can just about remember a few of the games”.

Josh looked at the dossier he had found. He looked at Lana and Kate, deep in conversation with Hastings.

Thom and Steve were making lunch and so he had the chance to read the documents inside.

TWIN BABIES FOUND IN NOVEMBER SNOW. DUBBED BUS BABIES

Twin baby girls were found at Morrows Hill Bus Shelter on 3 Nov, believed to have been born earlier that day.

The girls, named Kate and Lana after the paramedics that brought them in, are doing well in hospital. They will be looked after by the hospital before being placed into foster care.

‘Bus Babies’ Cling to one another

The Bus Babies were found at Morrows Hill, baby Kate had her arm linked into baby Lana, believed to be the younger of the two.

Bus Baby finds hope!

Baby Lana has been adopted whilst baby Kate is still yet to find a home. Mother has still not come forwards

Heroin Addict Dies

Frankie Evans, 16, found dead after complications following a recent birth. It is believed Frankie gave birth without assistance before collapsing from a suspected rupture. She was found on the 6^th November with autopsy dating her death to be on or around 3^rd November.

Frankie was from Nottingham but was found in Shoreditch. Her family have been contacted. It is not known at this point if her baby has been found.

Josh bit his lip, finding tears welling in his eyes as he moved onto the next article.

Transcript of interview with Joey Evans, brother to Frankie Evans (16)

“Frankie went off the rails when she was 13. We never saw her, she got involved with drugs and left home. We thought she was okay. Please, if anyone has any information about her baby. Please, let us know so we can bring a part of Frankie home”.

Adam Morrisson (34)  pleads guilty to underage sex with minor, Frankie Evans (16)

Adam Morrisson has pleaded guilty to having underage sex with minor Frankie Evans, who died last November. It was suspected that he had taken the baby but had no idea she was pregnant at the time of Frankie leaving. Adam has released the following statement.

“When we met she told me she was 18. I didn’t realise she was 15. If I knew I would never have gotten mixed up with her. She was on every drug going, she became a different person. I want to tell the Evans family that I am deeply ashamed of my actions and I can only hope that somewhere out there, someone has my baby and is looking after them”.

Adam Morrisson (34) found dead in cells

Police were called to a riot in Sherwood Prison on the 15^th March, Adam Morrisson was amongst three men who lost their lives in the riot.

“Something interesting?”

Josh closed the file and looked up at Steve, “naa just uh looking at games that I might get”.

Steve nodded and looked at Kate before looking at Josh, “when this is all over, me and your mum were talking about moving in together…getting a house”.

“Yeah?” Josh grinned.

“Yeah…I mean, I love your mum”.

Josh smiled, “you seem good for her, with Dad it was always a fight”.

Steve chuckled, “tell me about it. I’d get the repeats at work the next day”.

Josh smirked before he bit his lip, “Steve?”

“Yeah mate?”

“i-I’m allowed to miss my Dad aren’t I?”

“Course you are. What happened was horrid. Your mum said she might not have gotten on with him but she never wished that…look, nothing can replace him. Okay? Not me. I won’t try to do that but-

“I wouldn’t mind” Josh mumbled, “i-I think I need a Dad right now”.

Steve nodded, “you wanna hug?”

Josh nodded and sniffed, “please”.

Steve smiled and opened his arms, allowing Josh to hug him tightly.

“Steve I found out something ‘bout Mum n Lana” he whispered through his tears.

Steve rubbed his back gently, “I did think you were looking a little too troubled for it to be games…you want to show me? Or them?”

Josh shook his head, “no…no i-I” he pulled back, “w-will you t-tell them?”

Steve frowned, “what is it?”

“t-They’re d-dead. Their parents, they died before they were even one”.

Kate and Lana looked at Steve as Thom kicked a football outside with Josh.

“Josh has found something” Steve started.

“Our parents?” Kate asked.

Steve nodded and placed a photo in front of them.

They leaned forwards and smiled slightly, a perfect mirror image Steve thought.

“Alex Morrisson” he stated before placing another photo in front of them, “and Frankie Evans”.

Lana’s eyes went wide, “woah bit of an age gap”.

Kate stared at her mother and then looked at Steve, “when were these photos taken? Presuming Frankie- I’m presuming she’s…dead?”

Steve sat down, “the photos were taken in 1985. On the 3^rd November 1985, Frankie Evans gave birth to twin girls and left them in a bus shelter before getting on a bus to London, where she was found in Shoreditch, 3 days later. Complications following birth”.

“Oh” Lana whispered.

Kate blinked, “a-and what about him? Our Dad? Prison?”

Steve nodded, “for six months…”

“Then what happened?” Kate pressed.

“There was a riot. Alex was found dead in his cell”.

“w-Wha- so within 6 months both our parents were dead?” Lana asked.

Steve nodded, “I’m sorry. It’s not the news you wanted”.

Lana rubbed her eyes, “no…but. Wasn’t exactly expecting to find them all these years later…least we know what they look like”.

Steve reached for Kate’s hand, “sweetheart?”

“Does it say w-why she abandoned us?”

“Just that she did…you were never formally identified as hers. Officially, Frankie gave birth to a baby that was never found and presumed dead”.

Kate nodded, “did she have any other family?”

“A brother, Joey. A bit older than her…parents are still alive too”.

Kate half smiled, “yeah?”

Steve nodded and rubbed her hand, “you wanna go sit upstairs for a bit? It’s a lot to take in”.

“What was she doing with him?” Kate murmured, “she must’ve been about 16”

“Drugs” Steve said, “Frankie was a heroin addict…there is one thing though”.

Lana looked at Steve, “what?”

“You were named after two paramedics that found you. Kate and Lana…and baby Kate was very protective of baby Lana”.

Kate smiled slightly, “that mean I’m older?”

Steve chuckled, “that’s what they believed…”

Lana looked at Kate staring at the photo of Frankie. She had her parents still, they might have adopted her but they were there for her. They were alive. Kate didn’t have even that.

She stood, placing her hand on Kate’s back, “I’m going to thrash the boys at footie…leave you two alone for a bit”.

Steve nodded and once Lana was outside, moved to Kate’s side, pulling her into his arms as she began to sob.

Josh looked at Lana warily before glancing back at his mum, seeing her sobbing in Steve’s arms made him bite his lip.

“Hey” Lana said and rubbed his arm, “reckon you finding out I’m the baby sister deserves GTA5”.

Josh grinned at Lana, “y-yeah?”

“Yeah” she smiled, “just don’t tell your mum, or Steve. Call it a cool Auntie present ey? Now come on, time to play footie”.

“We were” Thom countered.

“Uh I saw what you were playing and it weren’t footie” Lana teased and tackled the ball off of Thom.

Chapter Text

Steve held Kate tightly and rubbed her arms, “sweetheart…sweetheart” he murmured, “I’m here”.

“They both died w-wh-when-“

“I know” he murmured and kissed her head, “I know…”

“Steve” Kate sobbed and gripped him, “it’s not fair it- it’s not-

“I know…I know sweetheart” he rubbed her back and looked at her, “it’s not fair no…but we’re gonna find that brother of hers and the parents…we’ll find them okay?”

Kate sniffed and her bottom lip trembled, “but she was an addict what if-

“How many cases have you worked that a grandchild means the world to someone if they’ve lost a child ey?”

“f-A f-few” Kate sniffed.

“And how many of them have you thought, thank god they have someone?”

“All”.

Steve kissed her head again, “we won’t know unless we try but from what Joey said about Frankie…I think he’d like to meet you. I did my own digging and he still lives in Nottingham…never had any kids but…he’s alive”.

“W-What’s he do?”

“A paramedic. Said he wanted to do something to help someone”.

Kate nodded and wiped her eyes, “got a photo?”

Steve pulled his phone out, “no, but why don’t we go sit on the sofa and find him?”

Kate sniffed and nodded, “n-not now though….i-I really just want to stay being held”.

“Is mum okay?”

Steve looked up, “she’s okay, gone back to bed to rest”.

Josh bit his lip, “I saw her crying”.

“It was a lot for her to take in”.

Josh sat down, “was I right to… to find it out?”

“You were mate” Steve stated and rubbed Josh’s back, “your mum just… she needs to rest”.

“Lana was okay”.

“Different people process news differently” Steve replied, “but you found out Kate has family out there. It’s not what she expected. Or even thought she had. And you found that out”.

Josh nodded, “still… her mum and dad…”

“You let me worry about that alright?”

Josh shrugged, “she’s my mum…i-I’ve only got her”.

“You got a lot more than that now” Steve promised, “you’ve got me…and Lana…reckon Thom too…Hastings…”

Josh smiled slightly, “you reckon?”

“I do. Although Thom cannot play football”.

“I know” Josh grinned, “he kept missing easy shots…Lana’s brilliant”.

“You should see your mum play footie”.

“She good?”

“She subbed in for my five a side once and had the other team begging to never have to play her again, we won 7 nil”.

“Wow” Josh smirked, “the other team that shit?”

“Oi. What have we said about swearing?”

“Don’t do it when mums’ around?”

Steve rolled his eyes, “no…and what’s more, why don’t we start on dinner”.

“Mum gonna be awake for that?”

“I’m sure if we start burning things she will be”.

John stalked the streets, they would be hidden now, but he’d find them. Someone would let it slip.

Now that Philip was dead he didn’t have to worry about loose lips. Danny was a no go. The boy was smart but he also couldn’t keep a secret so he wouldn’t have been told anything. Hass was a tricky one. He hadn’t been as easy to win around as he had hoped. And he knew Hass would rather die than betray a friend. So unlikely to have been told Lana’s location.

They’d have to be somewhere big to fit 4 adults and a kid. But also somewhere that had an easy escape route.

John knew of several houses that were given to the MET to be safe houses. It was just a process of elimination.

That Hastings man hadn’t left London, opting to stay close by so he knew that they would be close.

John raised his hand to knock at the door of the first house he suspected and waited.

“Kate?”

Kate turned in bed as she heard Steve’s voice softly call out to her.

“Steve?”

“Heya” he smiled and walked to the bed, sitting down he stroked her hair, “you feeling okay?”

Kate shrugged, “just found out my mum was a druggie and my dad was a pedo”.

“We’ve made dinner”.

“We?”

“Josh and I…fajitas…they’re nearly ready if you want me to bring you up a plate”.

Kate shook her head, “I’ll come down…s’probably not good to lie in bed and wallow”.

“You can wallow” Steve assured her, “found out more about your uncle…”

“Yeah?”

 “He became a paramedic…”

“Paramedic?”

“Mmmhm, here” he smiled and handed her his phone, loading up the latest information he had on Joey Evans.

Joey Evans celebrates 30 years as a paramedic!

Joey Evans, 52, celebrates his 30^th year as a paramedic for Nottingham City Hospital.

“I’ve seen it all. Women giving birth in buses, trams, by a tree…nothing much surprises me anymore” he joked.

Joey was inspired to become a paramedic after the tragic loss of his sister, Frankie.

“I just wish someone had been there to help her that day. If they were she might still be here now”.

Kate smiled slightly, “he’s a paramedic”.

Steve grinned and kissed her head, “he’s a paramedic…his parents- your grandparents are retired firefighters”.

“Fuck off”.

Steve laughed, “it’s true…you Evans like a high pressure job”.

Kate smirked nudged him, “don’t Evans me…I’m still Fleming”.

“Ohhh are you” he teased.

Kate rolled her eyes, “couldn’t be arsed with the paperwork of changing it”.

Steve smirked and kissed her neck, “would you ever change it?”

“Depends” Kate murmured and smiled as Steve’s hand slid under the duvet.

“On?” he breathed, slipping his hand into her joggers.

“On if you wanna pop the question one day”.

Steve paused, “you think about that?”

“Wrong time to stop” Kate laughed, “and yes I think about it. We’re 40 next year Steve”.

Steve smirked, “and you did tell me you’d like a baby with me”.

“Biological clock has a countdown”.

“That permission to ditch the condoms?”

Kate smiled at Steve, “it is but ah ah ah-“ she laughed as Steve moved above her, “I want fajitas”.

Josh looked at his mum as she added mayo to her wrap, he could see from her puffy eyes that she had been crying. He didn’t know if finding out the truth about her parents had been a good thing or not.

Lana had taken it well enough, but he didn’t really know her. For all he knew, Lana was going to go psycho or get really drunk.

He looked across at her and she grinned at him, “got mayo on your face”.

Josh touched his face and she smirked, “gotcha”.

“Oi!”

Thom smirked, “don’t tease him Lana”.

Lana just shrugged and ate some of her fajita before pulling a face, “how spicey?”

“Whenever Steve cooks” Kate said and handed her the mayo, “add lots of mayo”.

“Noted”.

“I think it’s great” Thom stated as he grabbed a second fajita.

“That’s because you burnt all your tastebuds off with spicey curries” Lana retorted.

Steve smirked, “snap”.

“Mum?”

“Mmm?”

“Uhm, are you…do you like it?”

Kate put her fork down and looked at Josh, “I do” she reached for his hand and squeezed, “whilst I don’t like the outcome of my parents, I’m grateful you helped me find it…I’ve got an uncle alive out there…maybe later you could help me find him?”

Josh half smiled and nodded, “yeah?”

“Yeah” Kate grinned.

John figured, to hide 5 people, the house would need 3 bedrooms. This time of year, it would also need a garden.

It would need to be inconspicuous, but homely enough.

He walked slowly down a suburban area, there were at least 3 safe houses here.

3 chances.

He moved by early night, picking at each house as though it were a pick n mix. He noted the cars in the driveway of the first house and a car seat in one of them.

John turned away, Josh was 12. He didn’t need that.

Moving to the next one he spotted a dog in the window.

Lana didn’t have a dog. Thom didn’t have a dog.

He didn’t know if the others owned one but given how long they had stayed in London for without one, he figured this was another dead end.

He walked towards the end of the street, an detached house stood with a few lights on. He looked for cars and found none.

John smirked before walking down the side of the house.

“Muuum, can I watch this film?”

“Is it scary?”

“Errrr”.

“Lana is Final Destination scary?”

“Yep”

“Lana!”

John smirked and pulled away, he’d found them.

Josh looked up as he heard a noise at the front door.

Steve stood, “anyone for a tea before bed?”

“Ooo go on” Kate said, standing, “I’ll help”

Lana stretched and poked Thom, “reckon you should be helping”.

Thom smirked and held her, “and risk you falling off the sofa?”

“Pffff I’m fine”.

Josh smirked, Lana had nearly done that half an hour ago, he turned his head as he heard another noise.

“Something up Josh?” Kate asked.

Josh nodded and moved to the hallway. His eyes widened as he saw a hand through the letter box.

“MUM!”

Kate launched herself to Josh as she saw a match drop onto the carpet.

“Oh my god-“ Kate whispered and shoved Josh towards the kitchen, “everyone out!” she ordered as the carpet erupted into flames.

Chapter Text

Lana ran into the kitchen, glancing back only to see the front door starting to catch fire, “shit”.

Thom covered her as Steve grabbed the back door keys.

“Wait” Lana said and flew her hand across Steve, stopping him, she pointed at the backdoor, seeing a figure.

Kate grabbed a knife from the side and approached the door, “I’m armed” she yelled out.

“So am I” John’s voice yelled back and Kate stepped back as a hand fired through the backdoor window. Glass shattered down as a bottle of vodka dropped to her feet.

On instinct, Kate thrust the knife at John’s hand, stabbing his hand and pinning it to the door.

John cried out, “you bitch!” before he struggled to set himself free.

“Upstairs” Kate ordered, “now!”

Steve grabbed Josh and pushed him towards the stairs, “mine and Kate’s room, strip the bed”.

Josh nodded and ran upstairs, Steve looked at Thom staring at Lana.

“Go up” Lana urged as she joined Kate, “you’re a piece of shit John”.

“And you’re dead fucking meat girls” John spat and freed his hand, dropping a second match at their feet.

Josh shook as he stripped the bedsheet, tying it to the duvet cover. He jumped as the door burst open.

Steve and Thom joined him and as one moved to the window, the other got on his phone out.

“Where’s mum?”

Steve placed his hands on Josh’s shoulders, “she’s buying us some time. So’s Lana. We need to knot-

“I started” Josh said and held it up, “Dad made me learn how to tie strong knots”.

“Good” Steve smiled and opened up the window, checking that it was clear he looked at the length of bedding, “we need to tie one end to the bed so it supports us”.

“On it”.

Thom paced the room, “yes sir. He’s outside. He’s set a fire. We’re trying to get out now”.

Steve looked up as he heard a crash.

He fought instincts and remained with Josh, he patted Josh’s back as he finished tying the bedding to the bed.

“Done?”

“Done”.

Steve threw the bedding out of the window and looked at how far the drop would be.

“Alright, it’s a little drop but safe. Josh you go first”.

“But mum-

“I’ll get her. You climb down then Thom is going to follow okay? He’ll get you somewhere safe”.

Josh nodded and trembled, “I’ve never…I’ve never done this before”.

“Hopefully you never will again. I’m here okay?”

Josh nodded and gripped the window as he climbed out, gripping the bedding tightly he slowly made his way down the house. Shaking as he saw the orange glow of the fire inside.

Steve had been correct saying there was a little drop, but it wasn’t as bad as he had feared. Once off the bedding, Josh ran to the other side of the road. Waiting for help, or Thom.

He spotted Thom climb out of the window and scale down the building. He bit his lip as Thom jogged over to him.

“Where’s Steve?”

“He’s getting your mum and Lana. I’ve told him where we’ll meet him” Thom stated and gripped Josh’s hand, “this way”.

Steve moved downstairs and saw Lana first, clutching her head as she slumped against the fridge.

“Where’s Kate?”

Lana looked at him.

“Or are you Kate?”

“Lana” Lana coughed, “John came in…attacked Kate”.

“Right, where are they now?”

Lana looked towards the flames in the hallway near the living room.

Steve’s heart skipped a beat.

“Right upstairs, now!”

He gripped Lana and dragged her upstairs, “can you climb down?”

Lana nodded, “head fucking kills but yeah”.

“Climb out the window. Meet Thom and Josh at the mini market, they’re in the sweet section”.

Lana nodded and climbed out as Steve turned back for Kate.

He moved out to the landing before he saw Kate climbing up the stairs. She looked at him with bruises on her neck and blood trickling down her head.

“Baby?” he breathed and met her halfway.

“Quick” Kate panted, “he- I only winded”.

Steve nodded and grabbed her hand, leading her back to safety. Kate leaned heavily against him, “Steve” Kate breathed, “don’t think I’ve got any strength to climb out”.

Steve winced as he heard the stairs.

“Get on my back”.

“What?”

“My back, get on it”.

“No-

Steve turned and offered his back to Kate, “you grip tightly, for the love of everything we have. Hold me as tight as you can”.

Kate shook her head, “climb down first, I’ll climb but y-you hold the bedding?”

Steve nodded and climbed out of the window, going faster than he thought possible. Once Steve was halfway down he saw Kate climb out. He dropped to the floor, ignoring the shooting pains going up his legs as he watched Kate.

Kate was halfway down when he saw John’s head stick out of the window. Snarling at Kate.

Steve felt the bedding and looked up at Kate as John stuck one leg out the window.

“I’m outside, you’re inside?” Steve called up to Kate.

“Yeah”.

“Do it”.

Kate dropped into Steve’s arms, she smiled at him and looked up at John.

“Do it” Steve urged again. Kate pulled her lighter out of her pocket and flicked it against the bedding. The sheets went up quickly. Reaching John before he knew what was happening.

“I can walk” Kate whispered as Steve moved them across the road, neither wanting to be witness to the sudden scream as John fell from the bedding and onto the driveway.

Josh picked at the bar of chocolate as Lana sipped her tin of fizzy pop.

Thom heard sirens first, putting himself in front of Lana and Josh.

“What’s going on?”

“Fire” Lana muttered, “that’s police…and that’s ambulance”.

“How can you tell?”

“She can’t” Thom said, “but given there’s been a fire it’s safe to assume”.

 “You save me any chocolate?”

“Mum!”

Josh ran to Kate and hugged her tightly. Kate smiled and rubbed his back, she looked at Lana.

“It’s over”.

Lana nodded and smiled at Steve, “you good there pretty boy?”

Steve nodded.

Thom handed Steve a tin of fizzy pop, “here…full on sugar go nuts”.

“Cheers” Steve smiled and opened it.

“Mum you okay?”

“I’ve had much worse” Kate smirked and took a piece of Josh’s chocolate, “mostly working a night shift with Steve after he’s been beaten at crossword”.

Steve got off the hospital bed, “just a sprain then?”

“Yes Mr Arnott. A sprain” the nurse smiled.

Josh stuck his head through the curtains, “Lana’s had 10 stitches”.

Steve chuckled, “bet she gave them an earful”.

“Oh totally. Didn’t think an EXPO was scared of needles”.

Steve smirked, “come on, let’s go check on your mum, thanks” he nodded to the nurse and led Josh out to find Thom rubbing the feeling back into his hand.

“It was a massive needle” Lana grumbled.

“It was a tiny one to give you some pain relief” Thom reiterated, “Kate’s over there” he said and pointed to a curtained off area of the ward. Steve nodded and moved straight to it, sticking his head in much like Josh had to him.

“Oi!” Kate snapped and pulled her shirt back on.

“Why were the boobs out?” Steve asked.

“Mrs Fleming has some broken ribs” the doctor to his left explained.

Steve moved and stroked Kate’s face, “you good?”

“I’m good” Kate murmured, “throat is sore but it’ll all heal”.

Steve kissed her head, “I’m glad”.

Kate leaned against him, “how’s everyone?”

“Josh just had some smoke inhalation…Lana nearly broke Thom’s hand and she’s had 10 stitches”.

Kate touched her own head, “10 too…”

“What happened?”

Kate bit her lip, “I told him I was Lana…she was just…frozen. Shock I think”.

Steve nodded, “flashback?”

“Maybe…”

“Now we just need to finish our checks…won’t take too long then we can discharge you”.

Kate nodded.

“Okay, follow my torch light”.

Steve watched as Kate followed the light, “brilliant, no concussion lingering…ribs we’ve established and throat…”

The doctor looked at Kate’s heart rate before getting his stethoscope out, “cough for me”.

Kate coughed and winced.

“Sorry…no alls good now…okay. I’ll grab the discharge papers now and you can go home with your family”.

Kate smiled slightly as the doctor walked off.

“What is it?” Steve asked.

“Family”.

“Yeah?”

Kate looked at Steve, “I have a family”.

Chapter Text

Hastings looked at Steve, “as you know son this is just a formality”.

Steve nodded, “of course”.

Hastings pushed the DIR and let the beep sound out before he sat forwards, “this is an interview with DI Steve Arnott and Superintendent Ted Hastings, now Steve, you have been in witness protection for the past week on account of John Hudson, former MET EXPO and Chief Philip Osborne attempting to murder DI Kate Fleming and MET EXPO Lana Washington”.

“That’s correct Sir”.

“You were placed in a house with Kate, Lana, DCI Thom Youngblood and Josh Fleming”.

Steve nodded.

“For the tape” Hastings prompted.

“Yes I was Sir”.

“Throughout the course of this protection, Chief Philip Osborne was murdered and last night, a third attempt on Kate and Lana’s lives occurred. Tell me, in your own words, what happened”.

 Josh bit his lip and looked at his mum, “m’not in trouble am I?”

“Not at all sweetheart” Kate said and rubbed his back, “Steve’s said he’s sitting in with you because of your age-

“Can’t you?” Josh protested.

“Would you like me there?”

Josh shrugged, “just…”

Kate smiled and kissed his head, “I haven’t had my interview yet. If I’m in with you, it might cloud my own judgement of last night”.

Josh nodded, “right…i-is Thom nearly finished?”

“He is…if you would like, I can go next and then come in with you?”

“w-Would you?”

“So, everyone was in the kitchen?” Hastings asked Kate.

Kate nodded, “we moved there after John had poured vodka through our front door and dropped a lit match through the letter box. Preventing our escape”.

“And that’s when you moved to the back door?”

“Yeah. It was a secondary exit but when we all got in the room, John was starting to do the same to the backdoor. He broke through the glass and dropped the bottle of vodka on the floor”.

“Initial findings of John Hudson show he had a knife wound to his right hand as well as broken ribs…fractured jaw…”

Kate gripped Lana’s hand as John moved into the house, despite the flames.

“Why are you doing this to us?” Kate questioned.

John smirked, “given I don’t know which of you asked that, I’m inclined to not answer”.

“So you’re just a small brained dickhead then?” Kate snapped, squeezing Lana’s hand, “get upstairs”.

“Nut died because of you” Lana stated, “and Billy. You ruined lives! Just because I was put in charge? Are you so sexist that you can’t take a woman seriously?”

John laughed, “and now I know…you should’ve died on tour Wash. Nut wasted his energy getting you home”.

Lana grabbed a chopping board from the side and slammed it against John. He grunted and shoved Lana to the floor.

“Kate!” Kate cried out and moved to her.

John grabbed Kate and lifted her up. Kate swung her fist out.

“You wanna fight this for real?” Kate argued and drove her first into his chest.

John groaned, “ohhh you playing dirty now Wash?” he shoved Kate into the doorway and pressed his hands to her throat.

“Kate” Kate gasped, “get out. Run!”

She kneed John in the balls and dragged him over to the living room, hoping if anything she could give Lana a chance.

The smoke was starting to waft into the living room and Kate didn’t want to give John any chance to knock her unconscious.

She heard noises and cried out as John smashed his phone against her head.

Kate fired her fist into John’s jaw and scrambled out of the room, moving towards the staircase.

 “And when you and Steve were both safely out…the flames caught the bedsheet you’d used?”

Kate nodded, “yeah, it must’ve caught with the fire somehow and we watched as he just lost his grip. We didn’t stop to check if he was alive, we wanted to get to safety. To Josh”.

Hastings nodded and placed his hand over the DIR, “interview with DI Kate Fleming terminated at 14:03”.

He stopped the DIR and smiled at Kate, “I’m glad it’s all over now lass”.

“Me too” she smiled and rubbed her head, “uhm, about mine and Steve’s relationship”.

“Say no more lass, say no more…you’re both alive. That’s all that I care about”.

Kate looked at the hotel room and groaned, “oh god look how big the bed is”.

Josh’s eyes widened, “shiit”.

“Oi no swearing”.

“Lana lets me”.

“Lana does not” Kate retorted, she looked at Steve and smiled, “alright for you?”

“S’perfect” Steve smiled and kissed her, “Josh has an adjoining room”.

“Ugh does that mean you’re going to have sex”.

Kate laughed, “no. It just means when I wake up with a nightmare you won’t be disturbed”.

Josh rolled his eyes, “yeah right” before making his way to his adjoining room, “wow I’ve got a big bed too!”

“Perks of Thom using the MET’s expenses” Kate murmured and kissed Steve, stroking his face, “your beard needs a trim”.

“I’ll do it when we get home…right now I just wanna watch a film, eat a takeaway and cuddle up to you”.

Thom stroked Lana’s side, “so…back to normal?”

Lana shrugged and hugged Thom, “I’d like to think we’ve moved past normal” she reached up and kissed him, “don’t you?”

Thom smiled and held her as he kissed back, “I do” he murmured and backed her towards the bedroom.

“Not sure those sheets have been changed for a while”.

“I phoned your mum and dad and asked them if they could have a tidy up whilst you had your interview”.

Lana grinned, “I would say thoughtful”.

“But?”

Lana laughed and pulled him back into a kiss, “maybe I’ll have to show you”.

3 WEEKS LATER

Kate bit her lip and looked at Lana and Steve.

“You ready?” she asked Lana.

Lana nodded and knocked on the door.

There was a brief wait before it opened. Joey Evans stood before them and his mouth opened wide.

“Hi uhm” Lana began.

“Are you Joey Evans?” Kate asked, despite knowing the answer.

Joey nodded, “i-I am you- christ, sorry you just…you look the spitting image of my of…how can I help?”

“DI Kate Fleming” she said and held up her badge, “this is Lana Washington, an EXPO with the MET and DI Steve Arnott, my partner…c-can we come in?”

Joey nodded, “is this about that explosion? Nasty stuff, I’m sorry to say I wasn’t on the scene so I don’t know if I’ll be much help”.

“This is about your sister, Frankie”.

Joey smiled slightly, “Frankie…” he looked at Kate and Lana and his smile widened, “she had twins”.

Kate nodded, “she did”.

Kate sipped her tea as Joey pulled out photo albums, “kept them all” he said, “I just held out to a mad fantasy that one day her kid would rock up…and you did”.

Lana looked at the room, marvelling at the photos of Joey with his parents, her grandparents.

Joey sat between Kate and Lana and began to show them photos of Frankie’s childhood.

“She was so bright…was going to be a police officer funnily enough. Our parents were firefighters, took night shifts in turns and we’d still run amok…”

Kate smiled at one photo of Frankie with a football.

“How did you find me then?”

“My son helped” Kate admitted, “he’s good with tech”.

“You’ve got a son?” Joey asked, “how old?”

“12, nearly 13” Kate pulled out her phone and showed off a photo of Josh in his Forest gear.

Joey grinned, “tall lad and a Forest fan, raised well then”.

“Taller than me and Steve already”.

Joey looked at Steve, “bet you’re proud of him”.

“I am” Steve smiled, “and of these two…both been bricking it since we found out”.

Joey smiled, “I don’t bite ladies…unless it’s a night shift”.

Kate chuckled, “we’ve done our fair share of those over the years”.

“I can imagine, DI’s ey? Frankie would’ve loved that…and you’re an EXPO? You go on tour?”

“I did a few tours of Afghanistan” Lana admitted, “now I’m back in London and work for the MET at counter terror”.

“I’m so sorry we never found you both…really. Mum and Dad- I – I mean if you want to see them they’ll be so proud of you both”.

“We do” Kate stated, “whenever they can”.

“If I give them a ring they’d run around here despite Dad’s back”.

Lana smirked, “Steve’s got a bad back too”.

Joey laughed, “oh yeah? Chasing after a suspect?”

Steve grinned, “kinda…got attacked and thrown from a balcony a few years ago”.

Joey clicked his fingers, “that’s where I know you! You’re that officer that was pushed at the insurance place”.

“I was” Steve said, “i-how did you-

“I was one of the paramedics that was on the scene. Ah well I’m glad to see you survived it lad. Was a bit touch and go to start”.

Steve beamed, “you were there?”

Joey nodded, “small world ey?”

Kate smiled and nodded, looking over at Steve.

Lana sipped her tea, “you lived here all your life then? Nottingham I mean”.

Joey nodded, “I have. And from your accents I take it that you both were around here all this time?”

The girls nodded, “different areas but yeah…here” Kate said, “born and bred…”

Joey smiled, “amazing how we were close but…yet…I am so so sorry girls that we never found you. You would’ve had the best life with us- not saying you didn’t have-

“We know” Kate said, “we didn’t know about each other until recently so it’s been a few weeks of craziness”.

“So you were separated early on then?” Joey asked.

Kate nodded, “found in a bus shelter and Lana was adopted before she was 5 months and I was adopted when I was 3…bit of a problem baby. Kept screaming”.

Joey chuckled, “sounds like your mum that does”.

Kate grinned slightly, “yeah?”

Joey laughed, “oh yeah. I remember when mum and dad brought her home, I asked them could she be returned she screams too much”.

“Oh that’s like Josh…it was such a traumatic birth and then when we get home he just wouldn’t stop crying”.

Joey grinned, “bet that caused more than a few sleepless nights for you both”.

“Oh uh” Steve began.

“Steve isn’t Josh’s biological Dad. That explosion…Josh’s Dad was in the car…but Steve and I are partners and he’s stepping up…proving to be a right Dad at the moment” Kate teased, “and Lana is his cool Auntie”.

“Fucking course I am” Lana grinned, “I defuse bombs”.

Joey smiled at them both, “so much like her…God girls…I’m so sorry it’s taken this long to…”

“Honestly it’s fine” Kate assured Joey, “it’s just nice to know that we still have a family. We’re not alone”.

“Of course you’re not” Joey smiled, “if you don’t mind, I’m going to phone my mum and dad. They really, really will be over the moon”.

Lana and Kate chatted softly as Steve joined Joey in the kitchen to make more drinks.

“So you and my niece…I would give you a spiel of looking after her but I get the impression she looks after you”.

Steve grinned, “yeah she does” he handed Joey the milk, “but I make sure she takes time for herself…she puts everyone else first”.

Joey nodded, “Frankie…before…before the drugs was such a sweet soul. She used to use her pocket money to buy snacks for the homeless”.

Steve nodded, “I read the reports…It’s remarkable that nobody connected the dots”.

“So how were they connected now?”

“Josh. He looked up a lot of stuff whilst we were in witness protection and he found it all”.

“Bright lad”.

“Yeah. I reckon after all this he’d be interested in joining the police. Worked so well under pressure”.

Joey smiled and sipped his tea, “growing up with parents in that world does that to you”. He looked up as the door went, “that’ll be them”.

“I’ll carry the drinks through”.

Joey opened his door to his mum and dad, Penny and Robert.

“Joey lad what’s all the urgency ey?” Robert chuckled, “not having a party are you?”

“Are you finally engaged?” Penny teased.

“No no mum, uhm where to start”.

Penny looked behind Joey and her mouth opened, “o-Oh. Oh my…Frankie” she whispered and clutched Robert.

“Mum…Dad…Frankie had twin girls, and they’ve come home”.

Josh looked up as his mum walked into her flat, “told ya she’d be first”.

Thom rolled his eyes, “it go okay?”

Lana nodded and hugged him, “very okay…we met our grandparents too”.

Thom smiled, “wow…big day ey?”

“That mean I’ve got great grandparents?” Josh asked.

“Yep” Kate grinned and kissed his head before turning to Steve, “thank you for being there today…I don’t think I would’ve had the strength to do that alone”.

Steve kissed her head, “it’s no problem” he grinned at her and then turned to Lana and Thom, “you staying or heading back?”

“We’re gonna head back” Lana stated, “this one has a lot of packing to do…moving in with me”.

Kate beamed, “awh brilliant” before pulling Lana into a hug, “you need me anytime you call okay?”

“Likewise” Lana chuckled and rubbed her back, “it’s gonna be weird not seeing you around”.

Kate pulled back, “you’ll visit?”

“Course” Lana grinned, “you come down to me too. I’m actually taking the MO’s advice and having some much-needed time off to decompress”.

“Good” Kate smiled and rubbed her arm, “I’m really pleased for you”.

Lana hugged Kate again before moving over to Steve.

“Now then pretty boy…you sure you can cope without me?”

Steve flushed, “sure I can manage Lana”.

Lana hugged him, “good. I don’t wanna hear otherwise”.

Kate pulled Thom into a hug, “I want her happy you hear?”

Thom grinned and rubbed Kate’s back, “she will be. I’m moving in and she’s finally taking some time off…you reckon you can cope without bombs in your life?”

“Totally” Kate laughed, “not sure how she does it all the time”.

“Hardwired into her”.

Kate chuckled and pulled away, letting Thom and Lana say their goodbyes to Josh.

Before long, Josh was asleep on the sofa and Steve and Kate were having a much needed brew.

“Will you move in with me? And Josh?”

Steve looked up and grinned, “yeah?”

“I know we’ve spoken about it but these past few weeks, I think living with you hasn’t been so bad” Kate teased, “and before my…well, before everything I realised I hated nights when you weren’t here”.

Steve smiled and kissed her, “I’ll start packing then”.

“Of course we’ll probably want to look for somewhere bigger soon…you know…going on full adult mode and getting a mortgage together?”

Steve beamed, “you want that?”

“I want to be with you” Kate stated, “that’s my happy place and besides…we’ll need an extra room or two”.

“An extra room?”

Kate rubbed his hand, “you know how we were saying about having kids?”

“Yeah?”

Kate kissed him lightly, “4 weeks pregnant. Found out this morning”.

“Oh…oh wow” Steve laughed, “4 weeks?”

Kate nodded and kissed him again, “4 weeks…oh god it better not be twins”.