**
Sam smiled at Cat as she walked into the bar, standing up to greet her.
“No, don’t be nice to me.” Cat said, holding her hands up
Confusion clouded Sam’s features. “Have you been crying?” she asked, noticing the red-rimmed eyes and blotched mascara
Cat took off her coat, throwing it on the back of a chair. “Wine, I’ll get more wine.” She said, ignoring her partner’s question and stepping toward the bar before she could say anymore. She could feel her eyes boring holes into her as she ordered a bottle and returned to the table.
“Shitty day.” She said, pouring herself a large glass full.
“Okay. Is that all?” Sam asked reluctantly.
Cat forced her eyes up to meet Sam’s. “No.”
Sam reached across the table for the bottle, topping her own glass up. “I was afraid you’d say that.” She sank back in her chair. “What’s going on, Cat? You’ve been really off with me just recently.”

Cat swallowed hard, taking another slug of wine. “I don’t know where to start.” She said honestly.
“How about with the truth?”
“I’m not sure you’re going to like it.”
Sam shook her head. “Maybe not, but I need to hear it.”
“Okay.” Cat looked at her, her eyes full of apology and sorrow as she spoke. “It’s Frankie.”
Sam visibly wilted at the words, she dropped her gaze to the table. “What about Frankie?” she whispered.
Cat cringed. “I…we…we slept together.” She looked across the table at her lover, waiting for a reaction.
Sam’s face remained still, save for a tiny muscle twitching at her jaw. She twirled her wine glass around by the stem, still talking to the table. “When?”
“Last week.”
The silence hung heavily between them as she allowed her words to wash over her, watching as the realisation dawned over Sam’s face.
Sam drew a deep breath in, clenching her fists on the table. Finally, she looked up at Cat. “Do you love her?”
Cat felt a flush as the heat rose to her cheeks. “I don’t know, I love you, I…”
“Do you want to be with her?”
Cat shook her head, “No, I mean…I don’t know, Sam. I want to be with you.”
“Do you mean that?”
“Of course I do.”
Sam rose from the table, snatching her keys.
“Where are you going?” Cat asked, her eyes desperate.
“I’m going to finish this once and for all.”
**
Frankie peered around the door, a slight smile playing on her lips. “Sarge.” She said, stepping aside and allowing Sam into the apartment. “I wondered how long it’d be before you showed up.”
Sam strode past her, her boots noisy on the floor. She helped herself to a can of lager from the side before turning to face Frankie.
“Cat’s told me.”
Frankie shrugged. “Look, I’m sorry okay? We’ve got history.”
“Yup. I get it. I didn’t come here for an argument.”
Frankie leant on the kitchen counter, head cocked to one side, arms folded across her chest. “So what did you come for then?”
Sam drained half of the can, swiping the back of her hand across her mouth, fixing her gaze on Frankie. “To tell you to leave.”
Frankie laughed. “Leave? Why would I want to do that?”
Sam placed the can carefully on the working top before covering the two or three steps between them with surprising speed.
Frankie stood upright, slightly taken aback by her nearness.
“I’m not a detective for nothing you know.” She said, her face only inches away from Frankie’s. “I did a bit of digging around before, I happen to know that you haven’t always been entirely honest with Cat.”
Frankie squirmed, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, attempting to duck away from her.
Cat grabbed her arm. “I could make things very awkward for you Frankie, very awkward. One word from me and you won’t be seeing anyone for a very long time.”
Frankie shrugged her hand off, moving aside. She backed away from Sam, her eyes blazing. “What do you expect me to do?”
“Get on a plane and don’t come back.”
Frankie shook her head, “I can’t do that, I can’t do it to Cat; not again.”
Sam shrugged, smiling slightly and walked to the door. “Don’t worry about Cat, I’ll look after her.” She stopped, her back to Frankie. “You’ve got twenty four hours before I come back with a warrant for your arrest.”

**
Cat glanced around at the gang as she walked over to them, her eyes scanning the group for Frankie. “Hey guys.” She said, her eyes finally resting on Sam’s instead.
“Ed ordered Champagne!” Tess said, giggling, topping up a glass and handing it to Cat. “His advance came through for his book.”
Ed shifted uncomfortably as they held their glasses aloft.
“My little brother, the writer.” Cat said, beaming at him.
Jay leant into her conspiratorially, “Your little brother, the virgin writer.” He said.
Cat hit him playfully, “Leave him alone. At least he can keep his in his pants.”
Jay shrugged, tipping his glass toward hers in a toast, “It’s a fair cop.” He said grinning.
“So, where’s Frankie?” Cat asked, as casually as she could, glancing quickly at Sam as she said it.
Jay sat upright, reaching into his back pocket and flicking an envelope onto the table before them. “I dunno. She wasn’t in when I got home, there was a note on the side, said to give you this.” He kissed her quickly on the cheek before jumping up, spying his girlfriend fighting her way through the throng.
Cat felt Sam’s eyes on her as she stared at the envelope on the table. Clearing her throat and placing her drink down on the table, she reached over and picked up the envelope, Frankie’s sloping handwriting familiar on the front.

Her heart thudded in her chest as she opened it with as much restraint as she could, aware that Sam was still watching her. The words blurred as she read them:
Cat,
A job came up in New York, thought it was best this way.
Sorry.
It’ll always be you.
Frankie.
X

Choking back a sob, she looked up, unable to stop the tears running down her face. Through them, she could just make out Sam, a regretful half-smile on her lips, her drink held slightly aloft.