A Fine Line
AN: For the purpose of this piece, Jo didn't transfer to Uniform.
"Can I get a bit of hush, please?" Superintendent Jack Meadows' booming voice silenced the bustling CID office.
"Right, we've got a new face joining the team. Well, to some of you, her face will be a familiar one." His words resulted in a series of confused looks shared amongst his colleagues.
"Sir?" DC Jo Masters questioned, hoping that DI Sam Nixon had returned to Sun Hill. Her insides leapt at the thought.
"I wasn't aware of this?" DI Neil Manson piped up, clearly annoyed that he had been kept in the dark regarding this arrangement despite his authority.
As a host of whispers and mutters began to spread like wildfire around the office, Jack raised his hand to regain the team's attention.
"The person in question wanted it to be a surprise. Besides, it was all arranged rather quickly."
The perplexed detectives exchanged further glances.
"Like I said, some of you will remember her from her previous stint at Sun Hill, but I'd like you to treat her the same as you would any other new colleague, please." Jack continued.
Jo could feel her stomach flip with excitement. She thought to herself, a female, who has worked at Sun Hill before, wanting her return to be a surprise; it had to be Sam surely? Although she couldn't guarantee she'd treat DI Nixon the same as any other newbie...
"Please give a warm Sun Hill welcome to your new Sergeant, DS Debbie McAllister."
A slender-figured woman stepped into the room, her wavy dark blonde hair pinned back into a neat ponytail. Her face showed little emotion apart from a false half smile, which closely resembled a smirk, DC Masters noted. DS McAllister struck her as a typical hard-nut Sergeant who didn't suffer fools gladly. Jo felt her shoulders slump with disappointment as all hopes of a reunion with her favourite DI slipped away.
"Debbie!" Mickey Webb exclaimed, a mix of shock, confusion and a little excitement evident in his voice.
"Well well well, still here Mickey! Have they still not made you a Sergeant?" It was the first time Jo had heard her new colleague speak. Her assumptions and expectations of Debbie were met as her husky tone showed bitterness as she spoke down to DC Webb.
Mickey didn't react to her words in the slightest, in fact he seemed almost used to it, thought Jo. Debbie made her way around the office, introducing herself to those who didn't know her and reminiscing over old times with those who did.
'This is going to be fun,' The brunette detective thought to herself as DS McAllister swanned over to her.
"And you are?" She asked in her usual straight-to-the-point manner.
"Someone who doesn't take being spoken to like that lying down." Jo had sworn to herself that she'd bite her tongue if Debbie said anything to irritate her but she simply couldn't help it.
"Wow, someone's touchy! Get out of bed on the wrong side this morning, did we?" The blonde sergeant kept her eyes on Jo as she walked away, glancing over to her with icy cold stares every so often.
Jo Masters shook her head, unable to believe how petty and downright rude this new sergeant was. She'd been back five minutes and already she had the Super eating out of her hand and Mickey Webb amongst others wrapped around her little finger. As if to prove her point, the cockney DC hurried back into CID with a cup of coffee for the new arrival.
"Who does she think she is?" Jo spoke quietly to herself.
"That's Debbie McAllister for you." Neil Manson had overheard Jo's muttering.
"Well she needs to get down off her high horse." The bolshy brunette continued.
"She being the cat's mother?" Debbie strutted over to where DC Masters was leaning against the radiator. Neil made a quick exit.
Jo looked straight at Debbie for the first time. Jo found she was annoying beautiful, in a unique and understated way. Her black suit was spotless, her blouse was crisp and whiter than white, her shoes polished within an inch of their death. The DC found herself making a mental list of every little thing which irritated her about her senior colleague.
"Not so gobby now, I see." Debbie perched on the edge of the heater just centimetres away from Jo.
"You and I, we're too similar. According to your colleagues, our colleagues, you're a feisty, head strong woman too. Don't worry love, I won't steal your thunder. Not too much, anyway." The fierce blonde shot a sly smile at the detective constable as she sauntered off back to Jack Meadows. Debbie deliberately placed her hand on his shoulder once she'd made sure Jo was watching, as if to confirm that she had the Superintendent right where she wanted him.
Neil Manson returned to where he was standing before.
"She is unbearable!" Jo began to rant at her superior.
"I know she is." The DI replied matter-of-factly. "As much as it pains me to say, we have to at least try to get along with her. We're a team, Jo. Just try your best to tolerate her, for Jack's sake if nothing else."
She nodded as she knew Neil was right. Jo reminded herself that she hadn't become a copper to make friends. The only reason that she came into work every day was to fight crime and nothing else.
'I'm going to have to keep saying that to myself the way that McAllister's carrying on.' She thought.
Jo excused herself from the crowded office. Passing Debbie as she went, she gritted her teeth and smiled, deliberately whilst Jack and the new DS were watching.
'Do it for Jack's sake...we're a team...' The constable spoke under her breath, the DI's wise words running on a loop in her mind.
Once alone in the toilets, the DC leant over the sinks and studied her reflection in the mirrors. She let out a deep sigh. Jo ran her hands over her face with a little water. She could've sworn the amount of wrinkles she had had doubled in the past hour or so. The brunette dabbed at her damp face with some tissue before touching up her make up.
'They don't call me a lipstick lesbian for nothing,' Jo smiled to herself.
"There's no need to doll yourself up for me, darling." Jo turned round to find Debbie McAllister leant against one of the cubicles, arms folded.
"In your dreams, darling." DC Masters mimicked. An awkward pause followed.
"Why don't you like me?" Debbie enquired.
"I never said that." Jo was taken aback by the question.
"You didn't need to. It's obvious. Am I stepping on your toes, is that it?"
"What do you mean?" The DC was further confused.
"With Jack. You seem annoyed that we're close." Debbie shifted position.
"You think I'm jealous of you and Jack? Oh sweetheart, you couldn't be more wrong." Jo laughed.
"Well that confirms it." Debbie nodded.
"Sorry?"
"I've met your type before, sweetheart." The sergeant mimicked Jo, just like she had done previously.
"I can assure you there's no one out there quite like me." The DC's strong Northern accent shone through as she spoke.
"I don't doubt that." The DS moved towards her colleague so that the pair of them were just mere inches apart. Debbie eyed the brunette up and down. Their faces were so close they almost touched.
"You fancy me." The blonde whispered, staring into Jo's captivating eyes.
"You what?" Jo took a step back and gave a nervous laugh at what Debbie was insinuating. Once she'd thought about it for a minute, the DC realised that she's practically admitted that to herself earlier on. 'Annoyingly beautiful, in a unique and understated way,' she had thought, if she remembered rightly.
"You heard." She replied softly, practically whispering, closing the gap between the two of them once again.
"You wish." Jo whispered back. Her heart was beating so hard she was surprised you couldn't see it thumping against her flimsy cotton shirt. The sensation of Debbie's warm breath on her flushed skin caused the fine hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end.
DS McAllister walked away slowly. Jo felt more confused than ever. Had she annoyed Debbie in some way? If she had, did she even care? Did she have feelings for the brash blonde like Debbie had suggested? If so, would they be reciprocated? So many unanswered questions were floating around the puzzled brunette's brain.
Debbie turned back to face the DC, a smirk adorning her face.
"Meet me out the front at 6. Sharp." The sergeant raised her eyebrows flirtatiously.
It was Jo's turn to close the gap between her and her new colleague.
"It's a date." She resumed the flirty banter, deliberately breathing on the other woman's neck just like she'd done to her.
The same smirk was still present on the Detective Sergeant's flawless face. She turned as if to leave the toilets, holding the brass handle. Jo could have sworn she winked as she responded.
"It certainly is."