London's Burning - Torn

Written by: Gemma Lambourne
Email: pony_
Rating: PG - 13
Starring: Sally Fields, Mick Callaghan, Shauna Callaghan and Liam Callaghan.
First published online: 22ND July 2002.
Summary: After Series 14, episode 3... Mick begins to believe Sally that his marriage actually is a sham. Sally still hasn't found a new flat and they both begin to give into temptations. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!

Sally left Mick sitting at the table in the café where they had agreed to meet beforehand. She never asked her 'question' in the Oliver Twist nights before because Shauna appeared, then when he prompted her to ask the night before she didn't either. Whenever he wanted to know what her question was, Shauna always seemed to get in the way of things, whether she was present or not.

'Sort your marriage out' ringed in his mind, Sally's voice actually telling him to sort it out. Telling him to admit his marriage wasn't working... that it was a sham... was that her question?

Days passed, the two of them weren't exactly civil to each other, they only spoke when they had to. Sally when answering role - call or taking orders from Mick and Mick giving her orders or just asking her things when they were in the presence of the other watch members.

Frank had tried to use the fact that sleeping with Sally was able to get his own way. It was their little secret after all and if she didn't do things he asked, or if she didn't back him up, he'd open his mouth.

"Shauna?" Mick called out, entering his house and closing the door. Music containing explicit wording was blaring out loudly. "Shauna?!" Mick yelled loudly, walking through the the kitchen, then out and up the stairs. He walked into their bedroom, Shauna was jumping around to the music as it carried on playing over and over...

Mick turned the plug to the CD player off. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?!" He questioned exasperatedly.

"I *was* listening to music," Shauna murmured quietly, like there was no big deal.

"Shauna, it's nine p.m... Liam's in bed," Mick yelled, "Don't you have any consideration for anyone else? And..." He picked up a CD case that was laying on the bed, "What is this crap Shauna? What it is? This isn't music..."

"I can't do anything I want!" Shauna snapped, "It's always don't go out now Shauna, we don't need a new kettle Shauna, we already have a blender Shauna, I'm working late tonight Shauna!"

Mick sighed, walking out of the bedroom and out to Liam's room. He pushed the door, which was slightly ajar, more open then walked in. Liam was awake, lying on his side. "You ok mate?" Mick asked softly.

"I can't sleep," Liam murmured, "Why were you and mum fighting?" He asked.

"We weren't fighting," Mick corrected him, "I was just telling your mum to turn down the music."

"So where are you moving Sal?" Peter, a guy she works with at the gym asked.

"Just a flat with a mate, nothing special," Sally replied.

Peter nodded, "Must be better than you last place though, or you wouldn't have left huh?" Peter replied, noticing his taxi pulling up, "Anyway... that's my taxi, see you tomorrow Sal."

Sally was left alone, standing with all her things. She still hadn't found a place to live and had been sleeping in a small B&B for a couple of weeks now. But the money got too much, having to pay for breakfast and dinner, although most of the time she wasn't there to eat it and the owners also didn't like her going in and out at the early hours of the morning and late at night.

Sally decided to go to the station, when she arrived no - one was there. Red Watch were out on a call, which was all over the news and the radio. A tourist boat had caught alight in the Thames, needing more than two stations in attendance as it was a tricky job.

Sally entered the station and walked slowly up the stairs lugging her bags upwards. The lights in the mess were off, as they were in all of the offices. She entered the locker area, opening up her locker and dumping in as many of her bags as possible, before going up to the dorms and putting what else she could into her locker then the rest under a bed.

She looked at her watch, 11:30pm, she turned on a lamp, then walked over to the wall, turning off the light, then back over to her bed, she then turned off the light and layed down on the bed.

"How long is this going to carry on Shauna?"

"How long is what going to carry on?" Shauna asked loudly.

"This!" Mick yelled, "You, going out buying loads of things, although we already have them and we don't need them. We can't afford it Shauna, you were the one who jacked in your job remember!?"

"It's their own fault, not letting me do what I want..."

Mick stared at her, shaking his head, "It's not just that, it's your attitude, going out and not coming back for hours, not caring that one of my shifts might start and it's not like I can afford to ring someone to look after Liam... then you play music loudly when he's trying to sleep, dress in some hideous outfit and expect that I'll let you go out in it to a funeral..."

"You bastard!" Shauna yelled, hitting Mick, "Bastard! Bastard!" She yelled, hitting him over and over as he moved away from her and out of their kitchen and towards the door.

"Where are you going?" She asked, but he failed to respond. "Where are you going!?" She screamed, hearing and watching the door slam shut.

Mick walked for ages, various things going around in his head, Sally... Shauna... Sally... Shauna... Sally... Sally... Sally...

What she said to him would budge. His marriage not working and it being a sham. God, it was so true. Shauna had changed over the years, she'd changed a lot. They got married after Liam was born, Mick had proposed before they found out Shauna was pregnant and decided to wait until after the birth to get married. They were happy, then things changed. Shauna changed, she began to have mood swings, go completely out of control, screaming. She went from job - to - job, she seemed to like telling her bosses where to go or to shove their jobs where the sun doesn't shine... She spent so much time at home.

Mick found himself at the station, he looked at his watch, 1:25am, the appliances were still away, it was a busy night for Red Watch. Mick shivered slightly, it was getting cold now and to quickly get out of the house, he ran without his jacket.

He entered the station and walked through to his office, he sat around for a while yawning, then got up and made his way up towards the dorms through the dark station.

He walked into the dorm, opening the door and walking towards his bed, turning on the lamp beside the bed, he glanced around, noticing a figure in the shadows. As the light from the lamp brightened he noticed it was Sally.

"Sally?" He questioned.

Sally turned over to her other side, after noticing the voice, "Mick? What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I think I should be asking you that question," He said walking towards her and turning on her lamp.

Sally sat up, looking over at him in the darkness and turning on another lamp. "I...I had no - where else to go," She admitted, "Flat mate chucked me out weeks ago, I've been staying in B&B's etc... now I haven't exactly got the money for..."

Mick looked across at her, "Why didn't you say anything?" He asked.

"It's not your problem," She murmured, "Anyway, what are you doing here?" Sally asked, looking at him suspiciously, then turned on another lamp, "You've got blood on your face," She said softly, standing up then sitting beside him on his bed.

"Me and Shauna had a fight, she started hitting me," He admitted, feeling slightly embarassed, "Thought it would be best if I went out."

Sally smiled meekly, "Let me clean that up for you," She said referring to his face, as she stood up and walked over to the wall, turning on the light and squinting slightly, before turning off each lamp one - by - one, then picked up a first aid kit, which was on a shelf in the dorm. Sally then walked back over to him, sitting down next to him.

Mick looked over at her for a minute, their eye contact locked, they were silent and didn't say a word.

Sally looked down, opening up the first aid box and dabbing some sort of anticeptic on some lint then she gently wiped it across the cut on his face as her other hand steadied the other side of his face so that he didn't move too much.

Mick winced from the pain of the anticeptic touching the cut as Sally tried to be as gentle as possible, "Baby," she teased, as she noticed his facial expressions.

Sally finished cleaning the cut, then walked away from him slowly, throwing away the lint and put the first aid box back. She then walked back towards him, watching him as she walked, then sat down next to him.

"Better?" Sally asked.

Mick nodded, smiling meekly, "Yes thanks," He said, looking over at her, then he lent towards her and kissed her gently on the cheek, "Thanks," He whispered in her ear, lingering closely to her for a while before moving away.

Their eyes locked on each other, as much as Sally was screaming at herself that he was married, although Shauna and him had, had an argument they were still married, but her eyes would not move. Mick pushed Shauna to the back of his mind, she'd been driving him crazy and had been a right bitch and Sally, was so nice to him, although for weeks now there had been tension between the two of them ever since their meeting in the café.

The sexual tension was getting too much, way, way too much to cope with. Each time they were in the same room together they felt the want inside, that want of being together, that want of wanting to feel the touch and the taste of each others lips...

Mick placed his hand left hand on her cheek, then gently traced the outline of her lips, then he ran his fingers through her hair. Their heads slowly moved closer to each other, stopping for moments every - so - often to look into each others eyes, their lips finally touched, they couldn't pull away, each kiss was replied by another, then another and another...