Singleness, a taggart fanfic

Disclaimer: I don't own anything apart from the plot, everything else is the wonderful creation of Glenn Chandler, Robert Love and ITV, who are amazing for creating this wonderful TV show, and who I will always feel indebted towards because the past year hasn't been the best but writing about Robbie and Jackie has been my form of escapism. None of the songs belong to me; "I Didn't Want To Need You" is Heart's and "Romeo and Juliet" is The Dire Straits's.

Valentines Day: the day where all singletons mope around feeling sorry for themselves, and that was exactly what Jackie was doing. She and Robbie were on their break, drinking coffee and eating biscuits that tasted about a month out of date. "So Robbie what are you doing tonight, with this week's girlfriend?" She muttered the last part to try to make herself feel better but she still felt rubbish after saying it.

"Oh Jackie you're so hilarious. Actually I don't have a current girlfriend, but you're all that a man needs to make sure that he gets bored out of his mind." He grinned at her, both of them knowing that he was only teasing. "Naa I'll probably just sit in the pub with you, whilst we take the piss out of each others' singleness." She smiled a little, "Aww Robbie you're getting all sentimental and caring in your old age!"

She heard Matt and Stuart approch from behind so she quickly turned around, "Matt, Stuart, did yous know that this is a historic day?" They both looked at her as if she was mad, "Jackie, what the fuck are you talking about?" She let out a little sigh, "Oh didn't you know that this will be the first year that our great Inspector Ross won't have a date on Valentines Day? It must be strange though; to not have anyone to spend this special night with, apart from your work colleagues... It's not like I've been dateless for three years, or anything!"

Robbie came up from behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist so Jackie twisted her head round to look at him, "Robbie what the hell do you think you're doing?!" Truthfully she liked the feeling of it but she couldn't bear to admit it to any of the three of them.

"Well if you haven't had a date in three years then you probably haven't had any male contact in the same length of time so I'm just breaking that cycle. Oh and whilst I'm on a roll why don't we go to the pub on a 'date' just so that when you die, you won't be one of the very few Glaswegian females not to have went on a date with me?"

She couldn't believe what she was hearing but she just nodded her head and quietly said "OK". Robbie gave her a quick squeeze and then wandered out of the office to go to the toilet.

Jackie turned to face Matt and Stuart with a stunned expression on her face, "Did I just agree to go on a date with Robbie?!" "Yeah" they both said in unison. "Why the hell didn't either of you stop me?!" Stuart piped up at this point, "Because you two have always been very cute together and you could have a very happy life together!" Beside him, Matt was trying to hide the smirk on his face. "Stuart! We are talking about me and Robbie Ross here, you cannot think we are good together!" She was walking away when she suddenly realized the strange feeling in her stomach, it was the sort of fluttering warmness that only occured when she thought about Robbie in that way. She mentally kicked herself as she sat down at her desk; she must not have feelings for her Inspector, however handsome and brilliant he actually was.

Later that evening

The four friends had decided to meet at their local pub at seven, as usual Jackie was the first one there, followed closely by Stuart and Matt. Robbie turned up at twenty past seven, making up some lame excuse about his microwave; all three of the others had worked out that it was probably because he was one of the vainest men in the country and wanted to look perfect before he left his flat.

He stared at Jackie when he sat down, she was wearing a simple long-sleeved top but she had rolled the sleeves up a little so that a bit of her arms were showing, over the top of that she had put on a tight black waistcoat that showed off her amazing figure and she had teamed that with just a pair of slightly flared jeans. No matter how simple the outfit was, Robbie thought she looked incredible and even if they had just been joking about the 'date' he wished that it had been true. Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by Jackie, "Robbie just so I am clear on this, you were just having a laugh when you said this was a date, right?"

He turned slightly red in the face, "Aye of course I was having a laugh, God you really thought I was being serious?!" "No, I obviously knew you were mucking around." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear to avoid his eyes but when she looked back to him, he was still staring at her, with a -I was actually being deadly serious- look on his face. She quickly bit her lip to stop her smiling or saying anything.
Matt and Stuart had been completely oblivious to their conversation but as they looked at their collegues faces they could work out that something had just happened between them.

All four of their thoughts were interrupted when the owner of the bar stepped up on to the stage with a microphone, "Ladies and gentlemen, first things first; Happy Valentines Day and to celebrate, tonight is going to be a karaoke night and at least two people from every table have to get up and sing a song of their choice! I'll be coming round in five minutes to get the names of people that are volunteering..." The four detectives turned to face each other with looks of absolute horror on their face.

Stuart was the first to speak, "I think that Jackie should go up since she used to be in the choir so she should have quite a good voice." Jackie glared at him, "I haven't sung since I was in uniform and anyway I think Robbie should go because he's always mentioning how great he is at everything; let's see if singing comes under that category." She turned to face him with a playful smirk on her face so he quickly retorted, "Fine. I'll go up but only if you do as well, and then we can see who is the most popular!" She couldn't refuse a challenge like that so when the organiser came round she wrote down both their names (making sure that she put Robbie's name above hers so he would have to go first).

After about half an hour of drunks singing random songs badly, the time came for their table. Instead of saying Robbies name first, the owner said Jackies name. As she walked up to the stage, feeling more nervous than she had done in a long time, she could hear the three guys cheering her on. She chose her song but before she could start, the owner came over and asked her if she was spending the night with anyone special, as soon as he said it, she turned to look at Robbie and they gave each other a knowing little smile but she had to reply "no" so she wouldn't get more embarrassed. After he walked off the stage, the music started and even though she felt like she was going to throw up, she had perfect timing and hit every note.

"Baby, I never gave my heart to anyone, oh no
I used to think that love was a game
I used to make it just for fun, oh yeah
And when we spent the night together
It didn't mean it meant that much
Now I just can't live without your touch.

I didn't wanna to need you, no no
I didn't wanna want you like I do
I didn't mean to fall
I didn't wanna care at all
I didn't wanna need you
Like I need you now.

No one else really noticed that she was only staring at one person, apart from that person. Robbie realized that she was trying to tell him something through the lyrics, so instead of looking at her beautiful curves he listened to the words.

Oh I can't get no sleep
Coz I keep thinking of you all through the night, oh yeah
My eyes can't wait to see you again
My arms can't wait to hold you tight, oh yeah
And when you're lying here beside me
There's nothing else I need
Never thought that this could ever be.

I didn't wanna to need you, oh no
I didn't wanna want you like I do
I didn't mean to fall
I didn't wanna care at all
I didn't wanna need you, no no
Like I need you now.

He started grinning like an idiot when he worked out that she was trying to say that she loved him and needed him. When he smiled, Jackie got all the encouragement she needed to carry on and start smiling herself.

I've always been free
To leave when I wanted to leave
But it's not up to me anymore.

I didn't wanna to need you, no
I didn't wanna want you like I do
I didn't mean to fall
I didn't wanna care at all
I didn't wanna need you, no no
Like I need you now.

I didn't wanna to need you, no
I didn't wanna want you like I do
I didn't mean to fall
I didn't wanna care at all
I didn't wanna need you, no no
But I need you now."

As she went to rejoin the guys, she saw Matt and Stuart clapping and cheering for her, but Robbie made her feel even better, he was whistling and as she got closer he reached over and moved a little bit of hair that was covering the side of her face. It seemed an innocent enough gesture to most other people but to Robbie and Jackie, it meant everything. All too quickly the owner was back on stage and announcing that Robbie was to go and sing next.

The owner asked him the same question that he had asked Jackie but instead of shying away from the question like she had, Robbie said, "Not exactly but I'm spending it with two of the best guys that I've ever met and the most wonderful woman in the world!" He looked over to where that cerrtain woman was and noticed that she was bright red but also had a huge smile on her face and a glint in her eyes that made him realize that he couldn't let her go, whatever the future would bring. All too soon, the music had started and in complete contrast to Jackie his timing was off and his tuning was horrendous.

"A lovestruck Romeo sings a streetsus serenade
Laying everybody low with a lovesong that he made
Finds a convenient streetlight steps out of the shade
Says something like you and me babe how about it?

Juliet says hey its Romeo you nearly gimme a heart attack
He's underneath the window she's singing hey la my boyfriends back
You shouldn't come around here singing up at people like that
Anyway what you gonna do about it ?

Juliet the dice were loaded from the start
And I bet and you exploded in my heart
And I forget, I forget, the movie song
When you wanna realise it was just that the time was wrong Juliet?

Robbie knew that the song that he was singing, was one of Jackie's all time favourites and as he had guessed she was even redder in the face than she had been before but also looked as if she could kiss him at that moment.

Come up on different streets they both were streets of shame
Both dirty both mean yes and the dream was just the same
And I dreamed your dream for you and now your dream is real
How can you look at me as if I was just another one of your deals?

Where you can fall for chains of silver you can fall for chains of gold
You can fall for pretty strangers and the promises they hold
You promised me everything you promised me thick and thin
Now you just say oh Romeo yeah you know I used to have a scene with him.

Juliet when we made love you used to cry
You said I love you like the stars above I'll love you till I die
There's a place for us you know the movie song
When you gonna realise it was just that the time was wrong Juliet?

I can't do the talk like they talk on TV
And I can't do a love song like the way it's meant to be
I can't do everything but I'd do anything for you
I can't do anything except be in love with you.

And all I do is miss you and the way we used to be
All I do is keep the beat and bad company
All I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme
Juliet I'd do the stars with you any time.

As the song was coming to an end he looked over to Matt and Stuart to see what they were doing but when he saw them, he was shocked. They were watching Jackie as she gazed up at Robbie. Robbie could guess that the two other guys had worked out what was going on so he realized that he had nothing to hide anymore.

A lovestruck Romeo sings a streetsus serenade
Laying everybody low with a lovesong that he made
Finds a convenient streetlight steps out of the shade
Says something like you and me babe how about it?"

He more or less ran off the stage and straight over to Jackie, "I think Matt and Stuart have noticed what we've been up to." She glanced over to them and he was right, they nodded and smiled.

"So Jackie in the words of The Dire Straits, how about it?" She wrapped her arms around his neck and, just like in the office earlier, said "OK" She raised herself a bit higher, since he was taller than her, and kissed him. After a few minutes like that, she opened her eyes and gently broke the kiss off, "By the way I didn't want to need you but I, kind of, need you now!" They both laughed and looked around for Matt and Stuart but they couldn't see anything apart from a little slip of paper lying on the table next to them saying Have fun and good luck! They both smiled and started kissing again.

"I think we can safely say that neither of us are single on this Valetines Day, can't I?" They had somehow found their way back to his flat and they were on his couch; Robbie letting Jackie lie on top of him with their arms around each other. "I think you're right and I think we will still be like this next Valentines Day, won't we Robbie?"

"Of course we will! I love you and I will always love you Jackie!"

"Thanks and I love you too." They gazed into each others eyes, both having lost track of time and both not really caring about the outside world. They only had eyes for the person staring at them and soon enough they were proving their love for each other on his couch.

A/N: Hey, Hope you enjoyed it, please review. I'll be back with the rest of "Sorry" very soon, for everyone who is reading that! I will be taking a break from Robbie/Jackie after finishing "Sorry" so that I can write some Princess Diaries and Indiana Jones fics (but let me tell you, I will still be coming up with situations for Robbie and Jackie!) so see you soon! Lee x