Characters: PC Des Taviner

Sergeant Sheelagh Murphy

Patrick Murphy

Inspector Gina Gold

Superintendent Adam Okaro

PC Honey Harman

PC Gary Best

Des trudged slowly into work that gloomy morning. "Awrite Des?" shouted Gary. "Eh yeah ta Gary," he mumbled back. He noticed his gloom and left him to it. Gary knew it was best to leave Des alone when he was upset, unless he wanted a punch! Flashbacks of the night before kept popping into Des’ head. Sheelagh had broken up with him, told him it was over. Over? How could it be over? He was in love with her, and he knew that she loved him too. They belonged together, that was a fact. He changed into his uniform and walked slowly out of the changing rooms with his head down in a mood. "PC Taviner?" A gorgeous blonde appeared. Des looked up from the ground. It was Sheelagh.

"Sarge? What can I do for you?"

"Des I need you to come with me down to the bookies on Church Street. There’s been a report of a burglary. So c’mon, lets go."

"Yeah I s’pose," mumbled Des again. He was hoping she would say sorry and that it was all a mistake breaking up with him.

Sheelagh started to walk quickly towards the yard, with Des following slowly behind. In the area car they sat in silence for a moment before Des finally drove away. The only sound during the whole ride was that of the radio crackling. Feeling uncomfortable with the chilling silence, Sheelagh tried to think of things to say, but she didn't dare speak them, as she knew Des was upset, and she didn't want to upset him even more. Sheelagh wasn’t usually one for keeping her opinions to herself. Usually she expressed them in a clear and polite manner, but not today, not at that moment. She didn’t know what to do or say.

The day went by very slowly. They spent their time visiting the regular customers of the bookies as well as certain people who were not in favour of the bookies and made it clear to the owner. Sheelagh and Des had also made their suspects feel awkward because of the way they were acting together. She would say one thing and he would either ignore it because he was still in a mood , or would contradict her. He knew he shouldn’t because she was his commanding officer, but he couldn’t help it. He just didn’t want to agree with anything she said. Especially the things she had said the night before.

Finally, the end of the shift came. Des was all changed ready to go home when PC Harman shouted him back.

"Des! Des come ‘ere!" hollered Honey.

Des cringed at the squeaky sound of her voice and turned around. "Yeah Honey what is it? Can’t you see I’m busy?" Des shouted back.

"Des do me a big favour please? Gonna take these reports to Sergeant Murphy’s office for me? I would but my Fletch is already waiting outside y’know, and I gotta go," Honey pleaded.

"Aye awrite Honey. See you tomorrow then." Des said, with a slight hint of happiness in his eye. This meant more time with Sheelagh, he was happy.

"Thanks Des. See ya," Honey shouted as she ran down the corridor.

Des walked up quickly to Sheelagh’s office and stared at the door for a moment before knocking.

"Come in," Sheelagh shouted.

"Erm these are for you. They’re from PC Harman."

"Thanks you Des," Sheelagh said quietly and without looking at him. She couldn’t make eye contact with him too much. Every time she looked at him, her love for him grew stronger and temptation became even more unbearable. Des noticed this inability to make eye contact. He couldn’t bear it any longer.

"Look Shee, we need to talk. This is serious. I mean you cant even look at me can yer?" Des snapped. Sheelagh stood still and thought. She knew they needed to talk.

"Ok, ok. Sit down," she replied in a very soft tone.

"I love you."

Sheelagh was startled.

"No you don’t. Don’t be silly Des. Its lust you feel, not love! Don’t be silly!" she quickly answered back, her mind in a spin and her heart a flutter because of those three words.

"I want an answer Sheelagh. Why did you break up with me all of a sudden eh? Why are you being like this? Why? Tell me," Des asked her. She stuttered a couple of times and then stopped to think.

"Its me 23^rd Anniversary, ok? I’m sorry. That’s why I’ve been off with you," she snapped back. She was angry, upset. It was written on her face, and her voice was full of anger.

"You what? Oh right," Des shrugged. "So what?" he thought to himself raising his eyebrows. She was more upset now that the anger had gone. She could never stay angry with Des for long. It was her one weakness. Des stood and thought for a moment. He needed her to admit her feelings for him. He moved towards her slowly. Sheelagh panicked, knowing that if he came any closer she would end up grabbing him! He continued to approach her slowly. Sheelagh started to move back until she had reached the wall. Des had cornered her. Now she had to talk.

"Don’t touch me Des," she said with a hint of warning in her tone.

"Why not?!" Des cocked an eyebrow and asked.

"Because I don’t want you," she responded, clearly lying.

"Oh yes you do" Des said as he kissed her softly on the lips. It was at that moment Sheelagh’s heart nearly stopped. She was breathless. One kiss had left her dazed. Sheelagh looked deep into Des’ eyes and opened her mouth to speak.

"I love you too, Des, I love you too." she replied proudly. Des was stunned. She had finally admitted her feelings for him. He was overcome with happiness. He felt like a teenager again. He grabbed Sheelagh and started to kiss her neck gently. She grabbed hold of his back and pulled him closer…

PC Best was still on duty. He had a mountain of paperwork he had to do for Sergeant Murphy. He needed a fag break so he took a walk outside the front of the station.

"Erm……PC Best isn’t it?" a quiet child-like voice asked. Gary turned around to see who it was.

"Yeah? Oh, are you Patrick Murphy? The sarge’s hubby?" Gary asked. He remembered him slightly from when Patrick had been arrested for assault.

"I was wondering if it would be possible to collect me wife? Its our anniversary today ye see and I’ve got the limo sitting across there waiting for her to get in it. She was meant to finish ages ago so I’m here to force her to move it!" Patrick joked.

"Um sure, yeah." Gary said. He took him into the front office and buzzed to get into the main building.

"I’ll take you along to her office Mr Murphy."

"Thanks lad," Patrick mumbled as he followed Gary.

Sheelagh and Des were still "debriefing" in her office with no idea that Patrick was in the station. They were going crazy with each other. They were both undressing each other whilst kissing against the filing cabinet. They were too busy to hear the knock at the door, not realising that Patrick was outside. He knocked again. Hearing noise, he decided it must be her. "Oh well," he thought.

The door flew open………"SURPRISE!!!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

Sheelagh and Des nearly had a heart attack. Patrick stood there for a moment analysing the scene. Clothes everywhere and that "Taviner guy that worked for Sheelagh" had lipstick on him. Patrick lost control and slapped Des. Sheelagh jumped in and tried to pull them apart. Gary took a few moments to come to terms with what he had just witnessed, but soon was trying to help Shelagh pull the two men in her life apart. Inspector Gold came running into Sheelagh’s office to see what was going on. Finally, Des and Patrick were separated. Gary cuffed Patrick with the help of Sheelagh. As Gina went to arrest Patrick, she was stopped by Sheelagh.

"Ma’am, let me please," Sheelagh said, with such anger in her voice.

"If you’re sure Sergeant Murphy," Gina replied, quite shocked.

"Patrick Murphy I’m arresting you for assaulting a police officer. You do not have to say anything but what you do say may harm your defence or something you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence."

"Sheelagh? What are you doing? You’re me wife, me wife I say. How could you do this to me?" Patrick wailed.

"Put him in a cell PC Best," Sheelagh ordered.

Gina and Gary took Patrick away. Patrick was screaming and crying like a little girl. His appearance was deceptive. Looking at him you wouldn’t think he would hurt a fly, but he had a temper. He had a hell of a bad temper. As Sheelagh knew from years passed by. Sheelagh quickly turned to Des, he was lying propped up in the corner. Sheelagh took one look at him and broke down in tears. She went over and sat down beside him. He held her in his arms, just like he had done when she was kidnapped, and whispered to her "It’ll be alright."

"Oh Des, I‘m so sorry. This is all my fault." Sheelagh sobbed.

"I love you too….." Des replied. Sheelagh called for an ambulance. Des needed to be looked at. Patrick had indeed hurt him. She couldn’t believe how bad Patrick’s secret temper was. She then went back to Des. Gina didn’t want Sheelagh to go with him, but no way was she staying. So when the ambulance came, Sheelagh got in it anyway, to Gina’s disgust. She didn’t understand the love between Des and Sheelagh. She thought it was just a "romantic liaison".

A little while later Des was being checked out at the hospital, with Sheelagh by his side. An hour or so passed before Des was finally allowed to go home.

"Shee? You ready to come home with me now?" Des asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah love, I am." She was calmer now that she had come to terms with what had happened earlier.

"You need to get some stuff from yours first though. Go home and pack your bags, after all Patrick is in custody, so he won’t be there" replied Des.

"Ok."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, I’ll be fine on me own. I’ll come round yours as soon as I’ve got me stuff."

Sheelagh got up, gave Des a lingering kiss and slowly left the room. She didn’t want to get a taxi to her house and walked the long journey instead. It gave her time to think. Think about her new life with Des, and think about how she was going to tell her kids that she was leaving their da.

When she finally arrived back at the house, nobody was home. They were all still at the restaurant, but she didn’t know that. As she turned the key in the lock, she had a feeling of emptiness and resentment. Never before had she seen Patrick react like that. He was usually so quiet and calm, when just a few hours ago he had attacked someone she loved. Sheelagh went straight upstairs and started to pack some things into an old suitcase. She was just about finished when she heard someone come in. She shouted down to see who it was. Nobody answered. She was certain someone had came in though.