Warning: Major spoiler for 3rd season episode Seeing is Believing.

Rating: G - Grandmother suitable

Credits: Alliance, as ever.

Comments: Someone, a long time ago, suggested that we write the missing scenes, the alternative endings. This is what I would have liked to have seen near the end of Seeing is Believing.

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Russian roulette

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Inspector Thatcher peered out from behind the garbage container.

"Use your gun" she had called to Lieutenant Welsh, but it was in the office. The `Vecchio' detective's gun was not working. She could see Maggot, trapped at the end of the yard, but still armed and dangerous, pointing his weapon at...

"Fraser, get out of here"

Constable Fraser was gambling his life on his count of the bullets fired. Frantically she tried to remember the number of shots - seven, eight? The gun held nine. She reached a hand behind her, felt inside the waistband of her skirt....

As Fraser talked - standard procedure to unnerve the suspect - he became aware of movement beside him. Maggot's attention switched between the red tunic and the yellow T-shirt, the gun pointing first at one then the other.

"You both want to die?" Maggot was incredulous.

"Constable Fraser thinks your gun is empty. I think you could have one bullet left. But you can't shoot us both. There is no escape"

"And you can stop me, lady?"

"With one hand" In the silence that followed there was the unmistakable click of a blade flicking into position. She held a knife, small, maybe two inches, but lethal.

"You shoot me and Fraser arrests you. You shoot my constable and I forget the regulation that says I should try and bring you in alive"

Silence, that could mean life or death. Maggot was not going to surrender.

"Six after three, Fraser"

"Sir" acknowledged the constable.

As Thatcher counted quietly, the two officers moved into manoeuvre six of the RCMP manual, dividing the attention of the quarry by approaching from opposite directions.

"Three"

Silence for a heartbeat, then sudden movement as bodies crashed into each other. Silence broken by the deafening report of Maggot's gun.

Fraser had miscalculated.