Hold Me Tight and Don't Let Go.

Chapter One - Don't leave me Kate

He couldn't believe what he was seeing, as the rain drops slid down his face. He knew that it must have been bad for Kate to ring him in the first place. But the sight of the two bodies lying limp on the floor made his heart skip a beat and sink into the pit of his stomach.

He recognised the first body as Ryan Pilkington and froze in momentarily shock as his brain registered that the second person on the floor was Kate. She was lent up against her car with her head lolled to one side, eyes shut and both hands laying gently across her stomach where her stripped jumper was covered in blood. Steve sped towards her and crouched down in front of her to feel for a pulse 'Kate can you hear me?' Steve was relieved to be able to feel a pulse but had to shake Kate gently awake to get a response from her.

Kate slowly opened her eyes. Which looked glassy and Steve was horrified when he realised that she wasn't actually looking at him, but right through him as if she could see something behind him 'Steve'? Kate Whimpered as he applied pressure to her wound and she gasped in agony as he applied further pressure to try and stop the bleeding. 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry mate' Steve stammered as he tended to the wound. 'I'm here mate and I'm not going to leave you. I'm right here, okay? So I need you to try and stay awake and stay with me Kate. Just try for me okay?'

Steve could here footsteps behind him and he shouted out 'She's still alive. I need an ambulance now!' As he shouted this he noticed that Kates eyes were starting to flutter shut again. 'Kate!' Steve raised his voice in the hope that it would rouse her. Which it didn't 'Hey Kate, come on. I need you to focus on me mate. I need you to stay with me'. Steve gently took one of his hands off of her wound as the bleeding had stemmed. Whilst leaving the other one there so that he could shake her shoulder to get her to stay awake. As he did this Kate's eyes flung open at the shock of Steve shaking her shoulder 'Hey mate that's a bit more like it' Steve breathed a sigh of relief.

He gently stroked her hair out of her face and stroked her cheek with his hand. He was aware of the blue flashing lights and the oncoming sirens in the background. As well as the hustle and bustle of the rest of the AC12 team working on the scene behind him, trying to put the pieces together about what had actually happened. But in Steve's mind none of that mattered as long as Kate survived this. He really didn't want to think about what would happen if she didn't. As apart from his job. She really was the only thing that kept him going. Plus with everything else going on at the moment he needed her now more than he ever had before.

He wasn't aware of the tears that were starting to fall down his face, whilst he focused on Kate and trying to keep her awake. Until the familiar hand of the gaffer was on his shoulder telling him that it was okay and that the ambulance crew were here. Once of the paramedics knelt down beside Steve and put her hands on top of his, where Kate had been shot. So that Steve could pull his hands out from underneath hers so that she could continue to apply pressure to Kate's wound.

As Steve pulled his hand out from Kate's wound she cried out in pain from the discomfort that the change in pressure had brought. 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry' Steve sobbed as he felt two strong arms grab him from underneath his arms and guide him away from Kate. At first he tried to fight and pull the arms away from him. He had to be near Kate, he had to make sure that she would be okay. The gaffer let go of Steve once he had stopped struggling and turned round so that he was facing him. 'Son you need to try and clam down. I know it's hard and that it's Kate, but she is strong and she will get through this. Let the paramedics do their job Steve'. The gaffer's firm but kind words had no effect on Steve as he tried to crawl towards Kate. 'This is all my fault sir' Steve Stammered 'it's all my fault and I have to make sure that she's okay'. The gaffer sighed in frustration. He knew that Steve was going to blame himself and he also knew that there was no way of stopping the DI going into the ambulance with her. I was times like this that Hastings sometimes wondered if there was more to Steve and Kate's relationship and friendship that met the eye.