DISCLAIMER: Murder in Suburbia and its characters are the property of ITV. No infringement intended.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.

Falling for You
By LoriDragus

 

Ash quietly made her way down the hall to check up on Scribbs and MacDonald. Peering in the slightly ajar door, she grumbled under her breath when she realized the room was empty.

If there had been any one in the halls, they would have quickly moved out of her way as she stalked through the hotel. But luck was on the guests' side as the halls were deserted at 2 a.m.

Ash made her way to the small balcony that looked over the courtyard. As she fumed she made a mental list of the reprimand she was going to give Scribbs and MacDonald.

They were both professionals and there was no excuse for them to have left the surveillance room.

Reaching the doors to the balcony Ash slipped through them and stood on the small landing. Movement in the courtyard below caught her eye. Before she could make out who it was, Ash heard her partner scream.

Without stopping to think, the dark haired DI vaulted over the low railing and dropped two stories to the ground.

Trying to stand, Ash fell back as the two missing Detective Sergeants made their way over to her.

"What do you think you were doing," Scribbs asked as she bent down to her partner. "That balcony is two floors up."

"You screamed," Ash ground out as she stared into the still startled face of DS MacDonald, then fainted.

Scribbs turned to look at her colleague, "Don't just stand there, call an ambulance."

Two hours later and a very quiet car ride, Scribbs parked the car in front of Ash's place and got out to help her friend limp up the small flight of stairs.

"Will you hold still and stop fidgeting," the blonde said as she took the keys from her partner and opened the door to the flat. "You know it's not easy holding you up and opening the door at the same time."

The brunette grimaced as the blonde pulled her through the front door.

"Well I wouldn't need your help with the door if you had just followed my orders to start with," hopping over to the sofa the dark haired woman flopped onto it with little grace.

"What do you mean, I always listen to your orders Ash," moving toward the kitchen, the blonde grabbed two wine glasses and the bottle sitting on the counter. "I just don't always follow your orders."

"Precisely," pulling herself up straighter on the sofa, Ash made room for the slightly annoyed looking blonde. "If you followed my directions Scribbs we wouldn't be where we are now."

Pouring the wine into both glasses Scribbs handed one to Ash. "I didn't ask you to jump off that balcony. I was in complete control of the situation."

"Complete control," Ash sputtered. "You were yelling at the top of your lungs. I thought you were in danger."

"Well he surprised me."

Sighing, Ash tried moving her leg to a more comfortable position.

"You wouldn't have been surprised if you had been where you were supposed to be.

Looking into her glass, Scribbs said in a voice almost to low for Ash to hear, "I was bored."

Jerking upright Ash winced at the sharp pain radiating outwards from her ankle, "You were what?"

"I was bored," Scribbs answered a little louder.

"We were undercover and had our suspect under surveillance," stopping to take a deep breath and a drink, "You're supposed to be bored."

"I just thought to take a quick stroll," the blonde said carefully not looking at her partner. "I was just going to be out for a few minutes."

Sighing once again Ash set her glass down on the table.

"Emma, I know you didn't mean for me to get hurt. But this was a six week investigation that's been blown to hell. And come tomorrow we will have to explain all of this to Sullivan."

Ash gasped loudly as the pain in her ankle once again made itself known and shot up her leg.

Scribbs quickly set her glass on the table as she knelt on the floor in front on the sofa.

"I'm sorry Kate, I just needed a bit of air."

Looking down in the eyes of her blonde haired friend. "We have learned from this have we not?" Scribbs looked up at Ash and smiled as her friend answered her own question. "That I am always right."

"Yes, Ash, you're always right." Scribbs turned and picked her glass up and moved to the chair sitting across from the sofa. "So how're you going to do this. Call your mother to come over while you have that thing on?" The blonde said pointing to the splint.

Groaning Ash leaned back on the sofa and covered her eyes with her arm.

"I hadn't thought about that. And calling my mother is definitely out of the question." Taking another drink from her almost empty glass. "I'll just have to manage on my own somehow."

Scribbs looked at her partner waiting 'til the other woman had started to take a drink of her wine.

"I could always stay and help. Been told I give great sponge baths."

Ash swallowed hard and immediately began to choke on the wine as it went down the wrong way. Ash could see the smirk on Scribbs' face as she continued to talk and ignore the discomfort that Ash was in.

"No one's complained yet. If you'd like I suppose I could get references on my skills as the perfect bedside nurse. I mean I've had lots of practice. Well maybe not lots."

Finally getting her breathing back under control the brunette stared at the blonde. Scribbs finally trailed off as she noticed the intense stare of her partner.

"I don't think that will be necessary. I believe I can manage on my own for a few days."

"Come on Ash, I was just winding you up. And I would really like to help. Since it was my fault after all."

Ash almost groaned aloud when Scribbs began to pout. God did the woman have no shame. Reaching for her glass she realized it was empty. Before she could say anything Scribbs had refilled it. "All right just for a few days."

Scribbs' beaming smile could have powered the whole of Middleford for months.

Standing Scribbs headed toward the door for the bath. Calling over her shoulder as she walked away from Ash. "First thing I'm going to run you a bath." Sticking her head back out the door and looking at her partner, "So you want your duckies tonight or not?"

Groaning Ash drained her glass. That woman is going to be the death of me yet, Ash thought as she got up from the sofa and hobbled toward the waiting bath.

The End

Return to Murder in Suburbia Fiction

Return to Main Page