Ash waited, but Kai didn't return.

Eventually he decided he couldn't wait any longer. Much as he wanted to see that his lover was safe and unharmed, he couldn't stand around here waiting for ever. He had his own work to do.

Ash was almost certain Kai's assailant had been the Butcher, and that Kai had taken them both back to his world. He presumed Kai would be occupied for some time with whatever procedures were involved in returning Fuller—or whatever his name was—to prison. Now would be a perfect time to search the Butcher's house in Londa. Who knew what evidence they would find there?

Decision made, he left Kai's apartment, closing the door behind him and hailed a steam carriage back to the police station.

"I'm going to interview Keith Miller again," he told the constable at the Reception desk. "Is George Pappas in?"

"Yes sir. He came in a few minutes ago."

"I've had a tip-off about Keith Miller," he told his Sergeant. "I want to interview him again in connection with Clive Jenkins' murder. We'll take the police wagon in case we need to bring him back with us."

The police wagon was garaged at the back of the station. Seldom used, except when they needed to transport a prisoner, it took Pappas a while to get the coal burning hot enough to fire the steam engine. Ash strongly suspected Miller wouldn't be there for them to arrest, but it would have looked strange to call on a suspected murderer in a public steam carriage.

Eventually they set off, Pappas looking quite happy with the opportunity to steer the wagon along the cobbled streets.

Miller's house was a narrow building in the middle of a terrace. Ash left Pappas banking down the coals, and went quickly up the steps. By the time Pappas joined him, the door was ajar. His Sergeant gave him a quizzical look. Ash shrugged blandly and led the way inside.

"Hullo? Anyone home?" he called. "Mr Miller?"

Silence.

Ash made a show of sniffing the air. "Do you smell something?"

"No sir," replied Pappas, looking puzzled.

"Gas," said Ash firmly. "I think we should check through the house. We wouldn't want any sort of explosion."

Ash led the way determinedly upstairs, ignoring the doubtful expression on Pappas' face.

His expression changed considerably when they found the axe in the bathroom.

Methodically, the two men searched the house from top to bottom. Then they climbed down into the cellar.

"Do those flagstones look uneven to you?" asked Ash, seriously this time.

"Yes sir, they do indeed," answered Pappas, in grim tones. Gingerly, he prised up one of the heavy flagstones. The recently disturbed earth was only too obvious.

"I think it's time we called in the rest of the team," declared Ash. "Including the Police Surgeon."

Keith Miller was still recognisable after a month in the ground.

"It can't be the same man!" declared Pappas, shocked. "He was walking around as large as life only a few days ago."

"His brother, perhaps?" suggested Ash, taking a leaf from Kai's book.

"Definitely a relation of some sort," agreed Pappas.

It wasn't until they were moving the body and the rest of the evidence to the police wagon, that Ash remembered what Kai had said. That you could only use the transporter safely, if you had a living match.

~~~

Kai came out into the transfer room at the Janus Centre, half naked. He was cradling his injured wrist against his chest and the transporter had fallen to the floor at his feet. He looked around wildly for the Butcher but he was alone in the room. How had that happened? They had still been entangled when the noise of Ash hitting the door had distracted the Butcher enough for Kai to get his good hand on the transporter. The device had been crushed between them when it lit up.

There was only one answer. The Butcher must have killed his own Prototype, it was the only thing that made sense. And entering the portal, meant that he was now either dead or... somewhere else.

Kai shivered at the idea that someone might be trapped forever in limbo, but he felt no remorse. The Butcher would have killed him if he could, just as he had killed Russell and Jenkins. And presumably, his own Prototype on Gaia.

Twelve hours later, Kai sat propped up in a hospital bed. His right arm was splinted to keep his wrist in place and his ribs were bound tightly, protecting the two which had been badly bruised under the Butchers' onslaught.

Director Yuen was standing at his bedside. "Well, the good news is that you should be able to go home. Will you be able to manage with your broken wrist? Have you got someone who can help you with dressing? That kind of thing?"

"I'll be fine, sir," Kai assured him. Anything to get out of this place.

"I'd like to go back to Gaia as soon as possible. I've got some unfinished business there, tidying up after Miller." And I really, really want to see Ash again!

"That's very admirable, Ewans, but no need to push yourself." Director Yuen looked apologetic. "As a matter of fact, your transporter sustained some damage in the last transfer. I'll get a technician to work on repairs, but it's scarcely a high priority at present with you on the sick list. The doctor said it will be at least six weeks before you can tackle anything strenuous."

Kai sat up straight. Six weeks? "But sir-"

"Don't worry about it," soothed Yuen. "Just concentrate on getting well."

"Yes sir," agreed Kai dejectedly, as the Director left.

How could he wait six weeks before seeing Ash again? What was Ash going to think when he didn't show up? Was he going to think that Kai had been toying with him again? Got what he wanted, so he could disappear?

Two days later, after driving himself half mad with brooding at home, Kai turned up at the Janus Centre, determined to persuade the Director to change his mind. Perhaps he could borrow somebody else's transporter. He had to get back to Gaia and Ash.

He had just seated himself across from the Director, when one of the technicians burst into the room.

"What on Earth's the matter, Helen?" asked the Director, startled by the interruption.

"There's a stranger in the transfer room, sir! He's just arrived, carrying one of our transporters. And he's insisting on speaking to Kai Ewans." The technician stared at Kai. "That's you, isn't it!"

"Ash!" exclaimed Kai, a huge smile on his face. "It must be Ash." He turned to the Director, whose eyebrows had climbed halfway up his forehead. "I bet you anything he's found Russell's transporter, the one that Miller took after they both went through to Gaia." He scrambled hastily to his feet.

"'Ash'?" queried the Director, standing up as well.

"Ash Calvin, the man I told you about, the detective in charge of Jenkins' murder."

"And how exactly did he find out about the transporter and how to operate it?"

Kai could tell the Director was far from happy, but there was no point trying to hide his own part in this. "I told him, sir. He's... well... we're in a relationship and I had to tell him the truth."

"I see," said the Director, his voice expressionless.

Kai hurried ahead, eager to see Ash. Visions of all the exciting things he would show him, the places they would visit, rushed through his head. And there was Ash, standing in the middle of the transfer room, looking wonderfully out of place in his embroidered waistcoat and trousers, shining brass buckles on his shoes.

His face lit up when he saw Kai, then fell. "What happened to your arm? I knew something must have happened to stop you coming back."

"It's nothing," said Kai, beaming, and only just managing to stop himself kissing Ash in front of his colleagues. He flung his good arm around Ash's shoulders and turned to the Director who had stayed outside the room behind the safety glass.

"Sir? Director Yuen, this is my partner from Gaia, Detective Ash Calvin."

The Director nodded in acknowledgement. "You shouldn't really be here, Mr Calvin, but now that you are, we have a lot of questions for you."

Well, that didn't sound particularly welcoming, thought Kai. He studied the Director.

He hadn't liked the speech and he didn't like the way the Director was standing there, examining Ash as if he were some strange specimen. And he particularly didn't like the way two security guards had appeared behind the Director.

Kai turned to Ash. "I'm sorry, I really wanted to show you around, but maybe another time. Could you give me the transporter now?"

Ash hesitated for a moment, aware of the rising tension in the room, but he handed the transporter to Kai.

"Thank you," said Kai and smiled. "Now let's go home." And he pressed the transporter button, sending them both back to Gaia.

(Author's Note: I hope you've enjoyed reading my story! A big thankyou to those who've stuck with me and the story the whole way - you know who you are ! :)
Word Count is 20,265 according to MS Word - excluding all the Author's Notes)