Believe it or not, but I got the idea way before Christmas and didn't finish 
until now. Decided to post in one piece (was kinda hard to break up), if you 
found it too long, please let me know and I'll post in shorter parts another 
time :-) 
--Astrid 

TITLE: Bad cops 
AUTHOR: Kilohana (kilohana@hotmail.com) 
KEYWORDS: Stingers/Murder Call crossover, Christmas, humour, angst, romance 
NOTES: Set the first Christmas after Billy Robardi tried to kill Stone's 
mother and brother. Knowledge of that episode is useful, but not necessary. 
RATING: M, this story contains a few scenes which some may find offensive, 
but nothing too graphic. 
DISCLAIMER: I have no legal connection to Stingers or Murder Call. Stingers 
characters belong to Channel 9 Network and Beyond Simpson Le Mesuire, Murder 
Call characters to Jennifer Rowe, Hal McElroy, Southern Star and Channel 9 
Network. I merely borrowed them for a while :-) 

*Melbourne* 
'Come on guys, concentrate!' Ellen MacKenzie looked at her team. 
'Where's your Christmas spirit, Mac', Peter Church asked with a grin, 
knowing fully well why she was so tense. 
Ignoring the comment, Mac continued, her eyes fixed on Angie Piper: 'No 
Christmas holiday until we've solved this case, folks. Top priority! In the 
last kiddie porn raid one of the officers recognized several children from 
his daughter's school. The headmaster is of course quite worried, and she 
has agreed to let Angie in as a sports teacher, Mary Kirk.' 
'But it's nearly the end of term', Oscar Stone pointed out. 
'All the more reason to be efficient', Mac said shortly. 'I'm assuming we 
can trust the headmaster. We've run a background check on her and her staff, 
here's the names of those we're slightly suspicious of.' She handed out 
copies for everyone. 
'Stone, you'll be Mason Fitzturgis, a quiet and timid photographer, very 
interested in naked, little girls, and you want to be there when the 
pictures are taken.' 
'Thank you ever so much, Mac', Oscar mocked, 'you know I've always had a 
soft spot for the young and innocent.' 
'Why can't they just bring the suspects in for questioning', Angie asked, 
looking up from her list of names. 'Why risk more children being abused?' 
'They want to catch the people behind this', Mac replied, 'not just the men 
abusing the kids, but the men with the money.' 
'Mark O'Brian, Peter Smith and Ron Larsson', Angie read slowly. 'Got any 
pictures of these guys, Mac?' 
***** 
'Hi, I'm Mary Kirk', Angie said with a wide grin and shook hands with the 
handsome middle-aged man she recognized from Mac's photographs. 
'Ron Larsson. You new here?' 
'Started today.' She lowered her voice. 'To tell you the truth, I feel a bit 
scared. Everybody looks so much more experienced than me.' 
'They probably are, missy. How old are you?' 
'Twenty-three.' 
Larsson laughed. 'Twenty-three! Straight from uni, eh?' 
Angie frowned. 'Well, yes, almost, I've been working as a substitute the 
entire year, it's not exactly easy to get a permanent job these days. 
Anyway, sorry to bother you, it's just that I must have been given the wrong 
set of keys, all my girls are waiting to get into the shower and it's 
locked!' 
'I'll only be too happy to help', Larsson said in a friendly voice, and 
walked with her down the corridor. 
***** 
The three suspects had a favourite pub that Oscar decided to visit the same 
evening. Going in alone, he ordered a beer and sat down at the bar, looking 
around. His backup was in the van parked across the street, listening to 
every word he said. The idea was that he should start a conversation with 
their suspects, and for Mac, dressed in a very revealing outfit, to make a 
move on him after he'd had a chance to tell his new mates something along 
the line of "the younger the better". The only problem was that their 
suspects were nowhere to be seen. 
He sighed and took a deep sip. 
Oscar had nearly given up when he noticed a man walking up to the bar and 
sitting down next to him. 
'Hi there', Oscar said after a few minutes, 'fancy a game of pool?' 
'Sure, why not', the friendly stranger replied and got to his feet. 
'By the way', Oscar said, 'I'm Mason Fitzturgis, but you can call me Fitz.' 
The other man laughed. 'Mark O'Brian. What the f*ck did you do to your 
parents to make them give you a name like that?' 
Oscar pretended to be hurt. 'At least I don't walk around reminding people 
of a Monty Python film.' 
'Sorry, mate, I guess I deserved that.' 
They chatted politely while playing, and by the time Mark had won the game, 
they had made pretty good friends. Oscar had to remind himself that this man 
was one of their suspects in a children pornography case. 
Mac pretended to make a move on him after the game of pool. Oscar spotted 
her the moment she came towards them in her very tight and revealing dress, 
but pretended not to notice. Mark elbowed him, 'hey, what do you think, 
sexy, eh?' 
Oscar grinned good-heartedly. 'Old, mate, and desperate, twenty years too 
late!' 
They laughed loudly. Mac, who had heard his comment, gave him a dirty look 
and left the pub. 
Over the next couple of weeks, Oscar spent quite a lot of time with Mark, 
who also introduced him to his friends Ron and Peter. As soon as he had 
gained their trust, Oscar told them how difficult he found sex with grown 
women, what a shame it was that sex with children was illegal etc., and his 
new friends seemed to take the bait. They showed him pornographic pictures 
they had taken, and by covering his crotch with a pillow Oscar managed to 
pretend he was turned on and trying to hide it. By the end of that evening 
he was begging them to let him join them for their next "feast", as they 
called it. 
***** 
*Sydney* 
Homicide detective Steve Hayden was exhausted, and one look at his partner 
told him she was in the same state. He had shot and killed a suspect, and 
had to deal with the consequences. It was no doubt about who was to blame. 
Their suspect had attacked Tessa with a knife knowing she was a cop. Steve 
had instinctively aimed at his back instead of his arm or leg, knowing any 
mistake he made could cost Tessa her life. This all happened a few hours 
earlier, and now both were in their office writing their reports. 
Tessa Vance took a deep, shaky breath. 'I can't think straight', she 
complained, 'I'm so tired, but we have to give Thorne this report first 
thing in the morning, as in before we go home tonight.' 
'I would prefer to get it done tonight', Steve agreed. 'That way I might be 
able to get some sleep. More coffee?' He got to his feet and walked over to 
the coffee machine. 'Got any plans for Christmas, Tess?' 
'Not really. Thought I'd go and see my mother, but Guy's giving her a cruise 
for Christmas, they're leaving the 21st and will be gone for a fortnight. 
She doesn't know yet, but he told me as soon as he'd decided. It'll be good 
for them to get away for a while.' 
'So you're not going with them?' 
Tessa laughed and sipped her coffee. 'Not a chance. Christmas cruise with a 
bunch of honeymooners and old couples? No thanks. What about you?' 
'Thought I'd fly down and spend a few days with my parents.' He sighed. 
'Could be more than a couple of days after this. I killed that man, Tess, 
killed him, just like that.' 
Tessa reached over and grabbed his hand, ignoring the sharp pain in her 
lower back. 'You listen to me, partner. You saved my life. He would have 
killed me.' 
'That's just it! How can we be sure he wasn't just trying to scare you, 
force you to come with him or something? He didn't know I was there, he 
didn't know I had a gun! I did not follow procedure and yell a warning!' 
Tessa looked him in the eyes. 'John Black knew I was a cop about to bring 
him in for questioning. He panicked, thinking I knew he was the man we were 
looking for, the man who killed those girls, and somewhere inside his 
twisted brain he thought that by killing me, he would get away. You saved my 
life, Steve. Yes, it would have been better to warn him, injure him and put 
him away for life, but if you hadn't aimed at his back, you could easily 
have missed and either hit me instead, or given him the chance to finish me 
off. That's what I've written in my report, and that's what happened in 
there.' 
***** 
*Melbourne* 
'Cameron, I've been thinking.' 
'Careful mum, that's not healthy!' Oscar teased his mother over the phone 
while keeping his eyes on Angie who was going through some stuff in her 
locker. 
'No presents for you, son.' 
'Hey, that's not fair, what did I say? Please, lots of presents? Pretty 
please?' 
Angie stifled a laugh. 
'Cameron, try and be serious for just a few seconds.' 
'Okay, mum. What's up?' 
'It's nearly Christmas, and I wondered if you'd like to bring Michelle with 
you for the holidays?' 
Oscar was at a loss of words. 'Ah, mum, I'll ask her, but you know, she has 
a family too, she doesn't see them very often, and I think...' 
'I see', his mother interrupted sounding very disappointed, so he added: 
'I'll ask her, mum. It would be wonderful.' 
Angie froze. She knew it had been a bad idea to pose as Oscar's girlfriend 
back on that case. It had been awful to lie to his father, and she had told 
Oscar several times to break up with "Michelle", but he had always refused. 
Not all that long ago he had brought her home to meet his family, which of 
course had been a big mistake. His mum was wonderful, the most perfect 
mother-in-law material Angie had ever met, and Angie hated lying to her. 
'Yes mum, I'll tell her that. Yes, I promise. See you soon.' 
He hung up and walked over to his colleague. 
'No way', she said. 
'You told me earlier that your folks are overseas and you aren't going 
anywhere for Christmas.' 
'I'm not. That doesn't mean I'd like to lie to your wonderful family for the 
entire holiday.' 
'And if we told them the truth?' 
'Are you kidding? We can't do that!' 
'Why not?' 
'What did you actually tell your mother about your job?' 
'Not a lot. She said I probably had my good reasons for not saying anything, 
and that we could keep it that way.' He grinned teasingly. 'She thinks I've 
kept it from Michelle too.' 
Angie groaned. 
'I do think my parents are happier believing you're my girlfriend, but if 
it's a choice between you coming as yourself and you not being there at all, 
I'll tell them the truth.' 
'You sure about that?' 
He nodded. 
Angie sighed. 'Let me think on this one for a while, huh? Just a couple of 
days.' 
***** 
*Sydney* 
Steve hadn't slept much, got to work early, and was fiddling with the coffee 
machine when Tessa entered central homicide the following morning. 
'Can't get this damn thing to work', he murmured. 'You're late, Tess.' 
'Pardon me, partner, I stopped on the way to get us some blueberry muffins, 
I thought you'd like them.' 
Steve relaxed, got to his feet and gave her a hug. 'I'm sorry', he 
whispered. 'Thorne got in half an hour ago, grabbed our reports and took off 
for a meeting. He was not in a good mood.' 
Tessa put the coffee machine together and got it to work while Steve sat 
down on his desk, trying to do some paperwork. 
A few hours later their boss came back, looking grim. 'You two, in my 
office, now.' 
Closing the door behind them, he pointed at the two chairs in front of his 
desk. 'Sit down', he said. 'I've been in a meeting with the commissioner, a 
few suits from IA, and Maddy Black's solicitor. Maddy Black is John Black's 
mother... You're facing investigation, Hayden. I know you thought you did 
the right thing under the circumstances, and I'm backing you up every step 
of the way, but I have to suspend you until this case is over. 
Steve looked like he was carrying a too heavy load on his shoulders. 'How 
long?' 
'They won't even start till after the holidays. Vance, I'm putting you on 
paid leave as well. I had a word with the doctor who checked you out 
yesterday. He said you'd refused medical leave?' 
'I'm not sick.' 
'You need a break, whether you want one or not. I don't want to see either 
of you until after Christmas! The media is screaming bad cops, and I want 
both of you as far away from the limelight as possible. If everything 
happened as you described it in your reports, you have every chance of being 
let off the hook. Try and relax, both of you. Go and visit your families for 
a little longer than you otherwise would have done.' 
They left their guns and IDs before walking slowly out of the building. 
'That's it, I guess', Steve said sadly. 'You'll have time to see your mother 
off now, Tess.' 
'If I tell her about this she'll never leave! She'll insist on tucking me in 
every night and fill my stocking on Christmas Eve. I can't do that to her, 
it's their first real holiday, Steve. I feel miserable, but not miserable 
enough to do that to her.' 
Steve tried to smile. 'How about dinner tonight? We might as well be 
miserable together.' 
Once outside, they were attacked by a horde of journalists, all shouting for 
comments, and it was a struggle to get into Steve's car and drive off. 
Steve had to support Tessa on the short walk from the car to his house. 
'What did the doctor actually say when he checked you out yesterday', he 
asked once he had helped her lie down on his couch. 
'Nothing serious', she said, looking away. 
'You know', he said and smiled softly, 'if you look me in the eyes and 
repeat that, I might actually believe you.' 
Tessa shook her head. 'I banged my lower back against something when Black 
knocked me down. Nothing's broken, but it will be quite sore for a while, so 
the doctor wanted me to lie flat and take it easy for at least a week. Don't 
worry about me, I'll survive.' 
'You'll survive all right', Steve mumbled as he found an afghan and draped 
it over her. 'You need somebody to look after you, do you know that? You 
need a holiday with my mum to spoil you rotten.' 
'Sounds nice', Tessa murmured and closed her eyes, oblivious to the 
surprised look on Steve's face. 'Sorry about this, Steve, I didn't sleep at 
all last night, kept having flashbacks.' 
Steve hadn't slept very well himself, but he wasn't tired. Walking slowly 
into the bedroom, he dialled his parents' number and sat down on the bed. 
'Mum? Steve. Yes, everything is fine. Well, almost. Bit of a problem at work 
I'm afraid, I'm suspended. Yeah, it's quite hard to believe. I'll tell you 
all about it, I promise, but it's a bit difficult over the phone. Actually, 
I need to get away from the city for a while, so I thought I'd come down 
early, say the day after tomorrow if that's okay with you and dad? And mum, 
could you make room for one more? I have this special friend I want you to 
meet.' 
***** 
*Melbourne* 
'Oscar?' Angie stood in the doorway looking at him. 
He smiled. 'Made up your mind yet?' 
She nodded. 'If the offer still stands, I'd like to come with you. As 
Michelle.' 
He gave her a quick hug. 'Make sure you pack your pyjamas, Ange, you know 
what my mum is like', he whispered into her ear before letting her go. 
'You better wipe that silly grin off your face before anybody sees you or 
they'll add two and two together', Angie whispered before she left the room. 
Oscar suddenly realised that his mobile phone was turned off. Humming 
happily, he turned it on and checked for messages, then froze as he listened 
to the only one who'd tried to contact him: 
'Hi there Fitz, it's Mark. Tell you what, we've got a job for you, pleasant 
too, if you know what I mean. Be here by seven. See ya.' 
Checking his watch, he realised he would just about make it. Running into 
the main room, he told the others about the message from Mark. 
Everybody knew what to do, and by 7.15 Oscar walked into the empty school 
building, down the stairs to the basement, and used the keys Mark had given 
him to open the door partly hidden behind old desks and chairs. His backup 
was waiting outside, hearing every word through his wire. 
'Hi there, mate, just in time for dessert', Ron yelled, buttoning his fly. 
Oscar scanned the room quickly. Mark was rubbing his crotch while trying to 
operate a video camera, and Peter Smith was throwing paper balls at him, 
teasing him about his erection. Oscar's eyes landed on a miserable bundle on 
the floor: a little girl, naked as the day she was born, with lifeless eyes 
and bloodstains on her thighs. 
'Oh my God', he mumbled before he could stop himself. 
'What do you mean', Ron said, suddenly alert. 'I thought you said you'd done 
this before!' 
'I have, I have, just never...' Oscar looked at the child again. She wasn't 
unconscious, as he had thought at first. Now she was looking at him with 
big, terrified eyes. He wished there was a safe way to tell her he was a 
policeman, that everything would be all right now, that he would get these 
men for what they'd done to her. 'Not all the way, you know, no blood. I'm a 
sissy when it comes to blood, guys. I love their little hands and what they 
can do with their mouths, but I've never...' He felt sick to his stomach, 
this sting had gone too far. They had wanted to catch the men who bought 
films and pictures from these three, but instead they had caught the 
threesome in the act. 
Outside, Angie had grabbed her gun and was ready to go in. 
'We have them for what they've done to this kid', Mac whispered, 'but 
there's more to this than abusing children. Somebody makes big money here.' 
'How about I go in, surprise them, get the kid out of there, Mac?' 
Mac thought it over for a few seconds. 'Start out here, pretend to be 
looking for this child, shout, give them time to get away or at least hide 
what they've been doing. What's her name? Her parents must have reported her 
missing by now.' 
For once telepathy seemed to work. 'What's her name', Oscar asked Ron, 
knowing his backup could hear every word. 'Sweet kid. She looks like she 
needs a bath.' 
'Melissa. Somebody from the outside would see the lights if we took her 
outside this room, so obviously, that's not a very good idea.' 
Oscar nodded. 'Of course. Didn't think about that.' 
'Fitz, you know we sell this stuff to a producer called Martin Steele, 
right? You're just his type, he'll love to see a tape of what you can do to 
her.' He nodded towards the little girl. 
'That's it, thank you, just the name we needed!' Mac got everybody's 
attention. 'We're going in, guys.' 
***** 
*On the road somewhere* 
Oscar stole a glance at Angie, who was sitting next to him in his car a 
couple of days later. 'Why do I feel like the bad guys won this time?' 
She sighed. 'I'll never forget the look on that child's face when we all 
rushed in.' 
'Neither will I. She looked more terrified than ever, like what had happened 
before that was just a bad dream. I feel like I got there too late, Ange, I 
should have been able to prevent it. If I'd been there a little early 
instead of a little late I could have stopped them!' 
Angie reached out and touched his arm. 'It's out of our hands now, Stoney, 
time for our Christmas holiday, hey? Time to relax and be ourselves for a 
little while.' 
'I know, it's just...' He fought back the tears. Crying while in charge of a 
vehicle was not a good idea. 
Angie stroked his arm. 'I know', she whispered, 'but you have to stop the 
car if you need a shoulder to cry on, it gets very dangerous otherwise.' 
'I know.' He checked his mirror, then stopped the car on the side of the 
road and turned the engine off. Looking at Angie, he suddenly realised that 
she was crying too. Leaning over, he wrapped his arms around her and let his 
feelings loose. 
'Thanks Ange, I needed that', he murmured a while later, and rubbed his eyes 
while smiling slightly. 'We're a sorry excuse for cops, aren't we? Breaking 
down on the highway like this?' 
Angie laughed and dried her eyes. 'They say crying is healthy. I feel a 
little better. For now.' 
'Me too.' 
'Want me to take the wheel for a bit?' 
'Don't see why not.' 
***** 
*On the road elsewhere* 
'Are you sure you're okay about doing all the driving', Tessa yawned and 
stretched her arms over her head as much as the space would allow. 'Let me 
know if you want me to take the wheel for a while.' 
'Nah, I'm all right, you just rest your spine and prepare yourself for a 
healthy dose of country HC&A', Steve replied and grinned at her. 
'Country what?' 
'HC&A. Hospitality, cooking and air.' 
Tessa laughed. 'Well, before we get that far, how about we stop at the first 
café we get to and I'll buy you a coffee?' 
'Sounds like an excellent idea, partner.' 
They found a reasonably calm and quiet café, and bought coffee and 
sandwiches to be enjoyed outdoors in the garden. 
'Does Thorne know we're going on holiday together', Tessa asked after a 
while, unable to relax completely. 
'Not unless you've told him', Steve said lightly. 'I don't see any point in 
involving him in our personal life, do you?' 
'Not at all.' Tessa relaxed. It wasn't like they had any strict rules 
against partners spending time together off work, but intimate relationships 
were frowned upon, and going on Christmas holiday together was reasonably 
close to intimate, she thought. 
'Ah, this is perfect', Steve said when he had finished his sandwiches and 
could lean back in his comfy chair. 'Good food, good weather, good company.' 
'I want a new spine for Christmas', Tessa groaned and struggled to get up. 
Sitting for hours and hours wasn't doing her back any good. 
Steve looked at her with sympathy written all over his face. 'Do you want us 
to stop for the night somewhere?' 
Tessa shook her head. 'Nah, we're well over halfway there, aren't we? Might 
as well keep going and rest tomorrow.' 
'Don't take this the wrong way, but I'd be happy to give you a massage', 
Steve said. 
She smiled. 'I might take you up on that. We'll see how I feel tonight.' 
He let out a deep breath and got to his feet. 'So, ready to go then, 
partner?' He put his arm around her shoulders and led her slowly towards the 
car, enjoying the close contact when she sneaked her arm around his waist. 
Just friends, he had told his mother. He grinned slightly. Who was he trying 
to fool? 
***** 
*Melbourne* 
'Got any plans for Christmas day, Mac?' Pete handed her a mug of coffee. 
They were trying to sort out the paperwork after the kiddie porn sting. The 
little girl's parents had decided to sue the police after finding out that 
the three men abusing their daughter had been under investigation at the 
time of the crime. 
'No time for Christmas, Pete. Look at all this!' Her desk was covered in 
files and papers. 'With Bernie on holiday trying to save his marriage I'm in 
charge here!' 
'So you let Stone and Angie take a holiday together too?' 
'They're not on holiday together, Pete, give me a break. Stone is on his way 
home, and Angie's staying with her sister.' 
'Sure she is.' 
'Do you know something I don't?' 
Pete smiled innocently. 'No, no, nothing at all.' 
'What?' 
'They just reminded me of somebody.' 
'Oh yeah? Care to explain?' 
'Somebody as in you and me before work split us up.' 
Mac gave him "the look". 'Don't go there, Pete.' 
'Look, you have to eat anyway. I'll cook. I'll help you sort out the 
paperwork. I'll make you another coffee. Please, Mac? I just want to share 
Christmas dinner with you.' He made a serious attempt of "hurt puppy dog 
look", hoping it would convince her. 
Mac sighed and smiled softly. 'Oh, all right, if you insist. I don't want to 
be alone either.' 
Pete sat down on her desk and looked at her. 'So, what's next?' 
'Expense reports.' 
***** 
*The Pierce farm* 
Angie stopped the car in front of the farmhouse, got out and stretched her 
legs. 'A bit quiet here, isn't it?' 
Oscar got out as well, and at that moment his mother came rushing around the 
corner. 
'Cameron, Michelle, we thought we heard a car, how good to see you again! 
CHARLIE, THEY'RE HERE! Cam, you just missed your brothers, they drove into 
town to do their Christmas shopping.' 
After a lot of hugging everybody walked inside. 
'Nice and warm today, hey', Angie said as Shirley prepared a pot of tea. 
'Nothing like a good, hot cup of tea to cool you down', she grinned. 'How 
are you feeling? You both look like worn out rags, you know.' 
'Been a bit rough lately', Angie sighed, unsure on how much she should say. 
The unit they worked in was so secret that even family members weren't 
supposed to know anything. Oscar's mother knew he had a job he couldn't tell 
her about, but she didn't know that Angie worked in the same place. 
'Yeah', Oscar said and placed his arm around Angie's shoulder, 'but we both 
got some extra time off and will enjoy every minute of it. Need any help 
with preparations, mum?' 
'We're invited over to the Haydens on Christmas day...' 
'... as usual', Oscar broke in and smiled at Angie. 'We've spent every 
Christmas day with them since I was little.' 
'We alternate', Shirley told Angie. 'One year here, the other there. Works 
fine. Their son is a few years older than my boys, and he was their hero 
when they were younger. I always thought he was the reason why Cam wanted to 
be a policeman.' 
'Mum! That's not why! You might as well say he became a cop because of me!' 
Shirley smiled teasingly. 'Of course, Cameron, anything you say. Anyway, 
Anna says Steve will bring a woman home with him this year. He married 
early, you see, Michelle, and divorced after a couple of years, and has been 
single for I don't know how long, so this is exciting news. A mother never 
gives up hope of a little happiness for her son and a few grandchildren to 
follow in the wake.' 
Angie blushed, and laughed trying to hide it. 
***** 
*Melbourne* 
'Mac, are you planning on sleeping here tonight', Pete asked. The pile of 
paperwork had shrunk slightly, but not a lot, and he was fed up. 
She looked at him. 'What's that supposed to mean?' 
'It means it's late, I'm hungry and tired, and I assume you feel the same 
way.' 
Mac got to her feet and stretched to ease the tension in her shoulders. 'I'm 
fine.' 
He grinned. 'Sure, you're fine, Angie's staying with her sister this 
Christmas, and look, I just saw father Christmas fly over here with his 
reindeer!' 
'Pete...' 
'Listen', he said, suddenly serious. 'Do you want us to grab something to 
eat and head over to my place where you can leave whenever you want, or to 
your place, where you can kick me out whenever you want?' 
'Rocca...' 
'Rocca isn't here, he'll never know, and besides, what's dinner between 
friends?' 
Mac thought it over. 'Okay', she said in the end. 'I happen to have a bottle 
of wine in my locker. Let's order some Chinese or whatever, we can pick it 
up on our way to your place. Can I crash on your sofa tonight?' 
He managed to hide his surprise. 'Of course you can, but wouldn't you rather 
use my guest bedroom?' 
'Didn't know you had one.' 
'I do. Nothing fancy, but the bed is nice.' 
'It is, huh?' 
***** 
*The Hayden farm* 
It was quite late before Steve and Tessa reached the Hayden farm. They had 
had to stop several times because of Tessa's bad back, which was getting 
more and more painful with every bump in the road. 
'Home', Steve sighed as he turned the engine off. 'Home, sweet home.' 
Tessa didn't say anything. 
'What do you say, city girl', Steve teased, 'are you ready to meet your 
in-laws?' 
That woke her up. 'Glad to hear you haven't lost your sense of humour, farm 
boy!' 
They laughed and got out of the car. 'Don't worry about the bags, I'll get 
them afterwards', Steve said and placed his hand on her lower back. 'Let's 
find you a nice, flat and hard floor to rest your back on.' 
'Funny.' 
Steve laughed. 'I'm home again! Wonder where mum and dad are?' 
'Right here, son.' 
Steve released Tessa and embraced both his parents at the same time. 
'We were sitting in the garden', his mother told them, 'and then we heard 
the car.' She finally spotted Tessa. 
'You must be Tessa', she said with a warm smile and took her hand. 'I'm 
Anna. I'm so glad to meet you at last.' Steve's father, Tom, shook her hand 
too, and then it was an awkward silence until Steve placed his arm 
protectively around Tessa. 
'Tessa's hurt her back, it got quite painful during the day', he explained, 
and Tessa nodded. 
'Would you like to go to bed, dear', Anna asked. 'Or are you hungry? We've 
prepared a simple evening meal, we thought you'd be starving after such a 
long drive.' 
'Is the bench in the garden still there', Steve asked, and his father 
nodded. 'How about you lie down for a few minutes while I get our bags', 
Steve suggested, and Tessa smiled gratefully. 
After a short rest, Tessa was feeling better, and enjoyed a light meal with 
Steve and his parents. She didn't feel very talkative, but enjoyed listening 
to the others, who were talking non-stop. In the end, Tom and Anna excused 
themselves and went to bed. Steve smiled as they left. 
'Tired, partner?' 
Tessa nodded. 
'Painful back?' 
'Not too bad. I'm bound to be stiff tomorrow, though.' 
'Do you like your room?' 
'It's beautiful.' 
'You're lucky. I got my old room. It hasn't changed since I moved out, which 
must be nearly twenty years ago now.' 
Tessa laughed softly. 'Your parents not fond of changes then?' 
'Not really. I'm an only child, what do you expect?' 
'So am I, but my mum changed just about everything after my dad died.' 
'Perhaps she wanted to get rid of painful memories?' 
'Probably. But all the same, I would have liked to sleep in my childhood 
bedroom once in a while. A step back in time, so to speak.' 
Steve smiled. 'I guess if you put it that way... I would have liked a bigger 
bed, though.' 
'Just as well you're sleeping alone', Tessa teased. 'Mine is big enough for 
at least three...' 
Shaking his head at the innuendo, he said: 'Tess, you wouldn't...?' 
Deciding it was safer to change the subject, she yawned. 'I'm dead on my 
feet, Steve. Perhaps we should call it a night?' 
He helped her up and pulled her into a hug. 'Thanks for coming with me', he 
whispered against her ear. 
'Thanks for inviting me along', she whispered back, and gave him a peck on 
the cheek. He pulled back slightly, giving her a feather-light kiss on the 
lips. She kissed him back without thinking, deepening the kiss until they 
were both breathless. 
***** 
*The Pierce farm* 
'So...', Oscar said. 
'So...', Angie replied. 
'We're sharing bedroom again.' 
'So we are.' 
'Still all right about sharing the bed?' 
'Very all right about sharing the bed.' Angie stared up at the ceiling and 
nestled a little closer to Oscar. 'Feels weird to be here again.' 
'Yeah?' He nestled closer too, until their shoulders were touching. 'Care to 
explain?' 
'All this lovey-dovey stuff. We're lying to your family, and I feel more 
like myself than I normally do. Did that make any sense at all? I guess I 
had a little more to drink than I should have had.' 
'Must be the heat, you didn't have that much. The room is spinning, can you 
tell?' 
Angie giggled. Oscar quite enjoyed the sound of her giggles, so he rolled 
over and tickled her a little. She squirmed underneath him, her face in his 
armpit and her hands playing along his sides, tickling him back. By the time 
they landed in a heap on the floor they were both laughing so hard it hurt. 
'You know what Stoney', Angie whispered while staring into his eyes, 
suddenly serious. 'I could really get used to this.' 
'What? Living in the country or fooling around with me half the night?' 
'Both.' 
That shut him up. Reaching up, he pulled her face closer to his and kissed 
her. 
'Does this feel right too', he murmured between kisses. 
'Mm ... better than right ... perfect.' 
***** 
*Melbourne* 
Mac woke with a scream, all tangled up in the sheets. Pete was by her side 
in less than a minute, gun in hand, wearing nothing but his underwear. 
'Face on the window', she gasped. 
Pete got to his feet and pulled the curtains to the side. 'Can't see 
anything, Mac. You sure?' 
She was still for several moments, slowly waking up. 'Perhaps I dreamed', 
she whispered in the end. 'So real. Holy shit.' 
'What? Bad one, was it?' 
Mac didn't say anymore, but got up and walked into the kitchen. Pete 
followed her. 
'Wanna talk', he asked quietly as she poured herself a glass of water and 
sat down on the floor. 'You know, I do have a couple of chairs and a couch.' 
She didn't reply, so he sat down next to her. 'Mac?' No answer. 'Ellen?' 
'Shush', she whispered and leaned her head against his shoulder. He smiled 
and closed his eyes, happy with the two of them being quiet together. 
Moments later the silence was broken by the sound of shattering glass and a 
brick landing on the floor, a folded piece of paper attached to it. 
***** 
*The Hayden farm* 
Tessa woke up to the sound of birds singing, and she allowed herself to lay 
still and just feel for a while. By mutual agreement they had stopped before 
things got too heated the previous night, and while eager to see Steve 
again, she hadn't felt this relaxed and happy in a long time and wanted to 
savour the feeling. Life was simply fantastic, and all the problems back 
home were far away and not worth worrying about at the moment. 
Her lower back did not agree though. She got up and went through her bag to 
see if she had anything that could offer some support. All she found was a 
pair of tight climbing shorts. She pulled them on, added a loose top and 
went looking for a bathroom. 
Steve was waiting for her in the garden, and she walked over to him. After a 
few awkward moments he pulled her into a tight hug. 'Now what', he whispered 
into her ear. 
She smiled against his shoulder. 'I think that whatever we do, we take it 
slow, partner.' 
He tightened his hold on her, blinking rapidly. At least she hadn't said it 
was all a mistake and not even worth considering. 'How's your back this 
morning', he murmured as soon as he had his emotions under control. 
'Still there.' Tessa grimaced. 
'Are you up to a slow walk around the property?' 
'As long as you don't expect me to ride a horse or a tractor or anything 
like that.' 
Steve laughed and took her hands in his. 'I promise. Go get your swimsuit. 
I'll find us something to drink and meet you back here in five minutes.' 
'Right-y-ho', Tessa grinned and squeezed his hands before heading back to 
her room. 
Ten minutes later they were walking side by side across a large field. It 
was scorching hot, and neither of them felt like talking. 
'You know what Steve', Tessa said after a while. 'I'm beginning to 
understand that dream of yours. You know, the one about a homestead and not 
another human being for miles.' 
'You hate it, right?' 
'No, I don't.' She took his hand. 'I haven't been this relaxed or this happy 
in years.' 
'Really?' 
'Really. Maybe tomorrow, or next month, or next year, the silence and lack 
of action would drive me crazy, but in the long run, I would love to settle 
down in a place like this.' 
Steve rubbed both his ears as if to check if he was hearing properly. Tessa 
grinned. 'Let's keep going before I melt, it's so hot! I assume there's 
water somewhere since you asked me to bring a swimsuit?' 
'No, I just wanted to see you change into it', he teased, and took a few 
quick steps away from her in case she decided to try anything violent. 
Feeling lazy, she rolled her eyes at him and laughed. 
'Just your luck, Hayden, I'm already wearing it underneath my clothes.' 
He laughed too, and put his arm around her shoulders. It struck her that 
he'd been doing that a lot lately, holding her, touching her, teasing her. 
***** 
*The Pierce farm* 
Angie woke up with her face buried in Oscar's armpit. He was stroking her 
hair, waiting for her to wake her up. 
'Morning', he whispered when she stirred. 'Find any hidden treasures?' 
She snorted. The room was hot, so was she, and Oscar could certainly do with 
a shower. 
'No regrets?' 
The memories of the night before came rushing back. 'Not a single one', she 
murmured and stroked a piece of skin near her hand. 'You?' 
He pretended to think it over, so she reached over and threatened to tickle 
him, and he smiled happily. 'A few thoughts and worries about work, but I've 
been waiting for this to happen, Ange, I'm so glad it finally did, and work 
can go to hell for all I care at the moment.' 
Angie moved up to look into his eyes. 'Happy, Stoney?' 
He nodded. 'Ridiculously happy. You?' 
She placed a kiss on his forehead, then his cheeks and finally his lips. 
Before long they were all over each other again, kissing and stroking and 
rolling around. 
A long time later they got out of bed, both unable to stop smiling. After 
throwing some clothes on for modesty, Angie was about to leave for a 
much-needed shower when Oscar grabbed her arm and pulled her close. 
'I would love to share that shower', he murmured against her neck. 
She giggled. 'That would give your mother a heart attack, I think.' 
He pretended to sulk. 
'Stone', Angie whispered, 'the sooner you let me go, the sooner I'll be 
back.' 
He released her, and she gave him a lingering kiss that continued until he 
pushed her away from him with a teasing grin and the words: 'You're all hot 
and smelly, woman, go get clean!' 
***** 
*The Hayden farm* 
Steve and Tessa sat by the creek, feet in the water, neither sure on what to 
say next. 
'I keep thinking about John Black and the investigation', Tessa said in the 
end. 'I mean, what exactly did the IA expect you to do? Let him kill me and 
then face the consequences? It's not fair!' 
Steve took a sip of water from his bottle. 'Who said life was fair, Tess?' 
'Have you told your parents yet?' 
'I told them this morning, before you got up. They reacted pretty much the 
same way you did.' 
'If they suspend you for good I'll resign', Tessa murmured. 
Steve smiled, happy for her support, but not taking her too seriously. After 
all, being a homicide detective was her life. 
'I mean it', Tessa said. 'If you can't save your partner's life without 
getting in serious trouble, then it just isn't worth it!' 
'What would you do?' Steve decided to play along for now. 
'Oh, I don't know, we could move out here and live off the land', Tessa 
grinned teasingly. 
We. He thought it over. We! She had used the word we! That had to mean 
something! 
'You'd need to work on your accent, city girl', he teased. 'Nobody would 
take you for a farmer somehow.' 
'Oh really?' With a quick movement she leaned over and tried to push him 
into the creek, but he managed to grab her arms before he fell, and they 
both ended up in the waist-deep water laughing hysterically. 
'Look out for crocs', Steve said mock serious, and enjoyed watching Tessa 
nervously scan the area. 
'You are kidding, right?' 
'Maybe.' 
'That's it, you're in trouble now, mister!' 
'Hey, hey, hey, careful with your back, Tess, you wouldn't want to...' 
'My back is fine, Steve, unlike what you'll be when I'm done with...' She 
suddenly slipped and disappeared under the surface with a splash. 
Steve laughed heartily, and grabbed her as she reappeared, coughing and 
spitting. 'You were saying?' 
Looking into his eyes, she suddenly got quiet. He was stroking her lower 
back carefully, looking slightly worried. 'You alright?' 
She nodded, smiled and pulled away slightly. 'Perhaps we should get up.' 
Both soaking wet and cooled down, they were in no hurry to get back to the 
farm, and Steve decided to give Tessa the grand tour of the property. 
'You know', he said quietly a while later, when their clothes were nearly 
dry and they were beginning to feel the heat again. 'You know, I'm so glad 
you decided to come with me this holiday. It wouldn't have been half as much 
fun without you.' 
Tessa smiled. 'That goes both ways, I'm having a great time. You know, 
spending time together off work, all this laughing, I could get used to 
this.' 
She could? 
'Don't look so surprised, Steve.' 
'Well I am, you keep surprising me these days, partner. You're acting just 
slightly out of character, you know.' 
'But I like myself this way, Steve.' She blushed, feeling like a teenager on 
her first date. 
'You certainly surprised me last night', he murmured, not looking at her. 
'I guess I surprised myself too', she whispered, touching his hand briefly. 
He took it, and they walked hand in hand for a few metres. 'Not that I 
wouldn't be interested', he added and squeezed her hand. 
She smiled, and leaned against him. 'Same here, I'm afraid. I've tried to 
worry about work, I really have, but all I can think about is those 
fantastic lips of yours.' 
He laughed. 'You're doing it again, Tess.' 
'What?' She got insecure and pulled away from him. 
He enveloped her in a bear hug that literally lifted her off her feet. 
'You're acting out of character again', he whispered against her ear, 'and I 
love it!' Before long they were kissing one another intensely, both 
forgetting about work, John Black and all their problems. 
***** 
The six from the Pierce farm decided to walk over to the neighbours on 
Christmas day. It wasn't far, and they wouldn't fit into one car anyway. 
Angie enjoyed the walk. She was hot, but not too hot, and Oscar was holding 
her hand, which made it even better. She wondered how long they would be 
able to keep this from Mac and the others at work. It was extremely 
difficult not to smile all the time, or touch, or laugh. Surrounded by 
Oscar's family, that wasn't a problem, everybody seemed thrilled about their 
relationship anyway, but work would be a challenge. 
'Not long now', Shirley said when they spotted a few buildings ahead of 
them. 'Across this field and we're there.' 
'Race you, A... Michelle', Oscar yelled and pretended to start running. 
Angie laughed and tightened her grip on his hand. 'And get all nice and 
sweaty before the party? I don't think so.' 
'That's right, Michelle', Shane said and slapped his brother's back. 'You'll 
have him whipped and housetrained in no time.' Everybody laughed. 
'You're just jealous', Oscar told his brother in a mock serious tone, 
knowing that both his brothers were single. 
'Well it's ever so easy to find the perfect woman around here, Cam', Shane 
said ironically. 'Look at yourself, you'd lived away from here for ages 
before you hooked up with Michelle. Same with Steve. He's found this 
beautiful lady and brought her home for Christmas. Do you think he'll stay? 
Or do you think she'll stay with him if he stays? I doubt it. And if he 
doesn't take over the farm, his folks will have to sell eventually. That's 
what it's like in the country.' 
'Shane', Shirley said, 'this is hardly the time or the place.' 
'I know. Sorry guys.' He smiled at Angie, who smiled back. She would be 
perfectly happy to live out here with Oscar and 2.7 kids or whatever the 
average was nowadays. And a dog, they would have to have a dog. 
They entered the garden and were greeted by an elderly couple. Angie could 
only assume they were the neighbours, as everybody was too busy wishing 
everybody else a happy Christmas to actually tell her their names. 
'Wow, old Stevo sure knows how to pick'em', Brad suddenly said, 
unfortunately loud enough for everybody to hear. Angie looked at the slim, 
blonde woman who came walking towards them wearing sandals, a silk skirt and 
matching top. She looked oddly familiar, but Angie couldn't place her. It 
was obvious that she hadn't taken Brad's comment as a compliment. Neither 
had the man next to her from the look of it. He appeared to be in his mid or 
late thirties, which surprised her. When Shirley had told her about the 
neighbour's son, she had gotten the impression that he was a couple of years 
older than Oscar, not ten or more. 
Hoping to ease the tension, she stepped forward with a wide smile. 'Hi, I'm 
Michelle.' 
Tessa took one long look at her face, and Angie suddenly realised who she 
was. 'I'll explain later', she whispered as she hugged her. 'Please play 
along.' 
***** 
'Okay, Ann, I think you owe me an explanation.' Tessa stretched out on the 
grass next to Angie, both too full of turkey, stuffing and Christmas pudding 
to sit up. 
'Long version or short?' 
Tessa looked around. The rest of the party was still sitting around the 
table discussing the harvest and lack of rain. 'How long will they leave us 
alone for?' 
Angie sighed. 'What are the odds of this, Tess? I mean, this is a big 
country, and we just happen to meet out in the middle of nowhere?' 
Tessa smiled. 'Well, you are sort of my cousin, even though we aren't really 
related and haven't seen one another in years.' 
'As in your step-dad being my uncle? Sure, Tess, that explains everything. 
Man, I thought I was going to faint when I realised who you were!' 
'Angela, I'm still waiting for an explanation. You're not in a witness 
protection program or anything, are you? I know you're a cop, but...' 
'Okay. Cam and I work together in an undercover unit. I doubt we'll be able 
to continue that though, they don't exactly go easy on your private life. 
Anyway, that's more than I'm allowed to tell you, so please pretend you 
don't know, all right?' 
Tessa nodded. 
'He got hurt once, ages ago, and ended up in hospital. It was serious, and 
his dad came to be with him. We weren't sure how much he'd remember when he 
woke up, so I pretended to be his girlfriend Michelle. Doesn't take a rocket 
scientist to figure out how it went. Charlie adored me, and then told 
Shirley all about me, and Cam didn't have the heart to give Michelle the 
flick. We were pretty close anyway, and now...' She sighed. 'I'm head over 
heels in love with him, Tess, I don't know how to keep up appearances at 
work after this holiday.' She blushed. 
Tessa smiled. 'I know how you feel. We haven't got quite as strict rules as 
you though. Steve is my partner in homicide, being involved is not a good 
thing, but...' She abruptly changed the subject. 'You know, Ann, I've always 
considered myself a city girl, but after this holiday I'm not so sure 
anymore.' 
Angie laughed. 'So in a couple of years we'll both be walking around here, 
barefoot and preggers and happily ever after, hey?' 
Tessa hugged her. 'Sounds like a plan to me.' 
At that moment they heard a car drive up on the other side of the house, and 
Tom Hayden got up and walked around the house to greet whoever it was who 
had decided to visit them on Christmas day. Oscar sat down on the grass next 
to Angie, rested his chin on her shoulder and looked at Tessa. 'Didn't take 
you two long to make friends, did it?' 
Angie looked at him. 'We've known each other a long time, Cam. We're 
cousins.' 
The look on Oscar's face was priceless. 
'Well, step cousins', Tessa added. 'My mother married Ann's uncle after I'd 
moved out and you were what, fourteen? Fifteen? We haven't seen each other 
much after that.' 
Angie nodded, then looked at Oscar. 'Neat', he mouthed silently and moved to 
sit behind her. She smiled and leaned back against his chest, feeling sated 
and happy. 
'Anyway', Tessa said quickly, sensing that Steve would join them any moment, 
'your secret's safe with me. Michelle and I went to school together or 
something, long time no see.' 
'You and my big sister went to school together', Angie corrected her, 
remembering the age difference. 
'All right. What's her name?' 
Struggling to think of a name, Angie could see Steve walking towards them 
and knew she had to hurry. 
'Wherever you grew up, Tessa', Oscar whispered. 'Stick to that and we'll 
improvise.' 
They didn't have to. 'Shit', Angie suddenly whispered and got to her feet. 
Tom Hayden rounded the corner of the house with Church and Mac. 'Cam', he 
shouted happily, 'some friends here to see you.' 
Pete approached them with a wide grin plastered to his face. 'I won', he 
said and nodded at Mac, 'while you lost! Told you they'd both be here, 
didn't I?' 
Mac shook her head, trying not to smile. This was serious, after all. 
'This isn't what it looks like', Angie tried to explain, then decided to 
shut up as she saw the look on Mac's face. Mac had always been the strong 
one, how could she look this worried? 'What's happened?' 
Mac closed her eyes for a moment. 'We're in serious trouble, guys, all our 
covers are blown.' They walked quickly away from the rest of the party. 
'This came through my window at 3 AM one morning', Pete said and held up a 
copy of the letter he had received with the brick. 'It's got four 
photographs, four names, four addresses, and the prospect of a lot of money 
for those who capture us, dead or alive. We're history, guys. We all need to 
relocate and change our names again.' 
Oscar grabbed Angie's hand and held on for dear life. 'Who... what...', he 
stuttered as he read the names. 
'No idea', Mac murmured. 'We went to see the commissioner, got permission to 
disappear for a while, new identities and enough cash to last us for a year 
or so, tried to track down Angie, gave up, tried to ring Stone, no answer, 
and then we got in the car and here we are. Oh God, what a week, I'm so 
tired!' 
'These are our undercover names, not our real ones', Oscar pointed out. 
Angie gave Mac a hug, she had no idea what to say. 'Who on earth would pay 
such an amount of money to see us dead?' 
'Can this have something to do with our last sting', Oscar continued, numb 
with shock. 
'Who knows', Mac replied, and rubbed her forehead. 'It's been all over the 
newspapers. Not our names and pictures though, beats me how they got out, 
but we now have more enemies than you'd think possible. An insider from the 
force would have used our real names, wouldn't he? This must mean that we 
can go back to our old identities if we want, but that we won't be safe in 
Melbourne and therefore ought to move.' 
'Does that mean that it's safe to stay here', Oscar asked, suddenly eyeing 
the chance of a happy ending for him and Angie. 
Church nodded. 'Just as safe as on the run, I guess.' 
Mac yawned. 'Got any decent hotels around here', she asked Oscar, feeling 
the need for some rest, or even better: a good night's sleep snuggled up 
next to Pete, if he was willing, something she was pretty sure he would be. 
Oscar smiled. 'Why don't you stay with us', he suggested, 'My mother will be 
thrilled.' 
Mac yawned again. 'You sure? That sounds really nice. Perhaps you'd better 
ask her first?' 
'Fair enough. A few things to remember while you're here though', Oscar said 
seriously and put his arm around Angie's shoulders. 'This is Michelle, my 
girlfriend, first class daughter-in-law-material according to my mother.' 
When he saw the teasing look on Pete's face, he added: 'Don't ask! It's a 
long story, and it's made my family really happy, all right!' 
Pete backed off laughing, his hands held up in surrender. 'I didn't say 
anything.' 
'You didn't have to. We haven't been breaking any rules, okay?' 
'Not many, anyway', Angie muttered under her breath. 
'Don't worry about it', Mac said quietly, 'we aren't in the unit anymore, 
guys, we aren't working together and we can do whatever we want to do.' She 
blinked away a few traitorous tears as Pete put his arms around her. 

******* 
--- fade to black, roll credits --- 

End notes: I know I left a few loose ends here, but I didn't want to ruin 
the soppy ending :-P