The trouble with sleep 1/2
Disclaimer:- Don't own them just borrowing!
Episode:- None
Pairing:- Jean/James
Rating:- M
Achieve:- http(:/) . /group/rebeccafrontlewisffarchive/
Summary:- He needed to make it up to her and that meant, at least as first, sleep definitely wasn't a option. He had stuff to do, if he couldn't help fix the mess he'd made he could make sure that by the time she got home she might just realise that it was worth it.
Author's Note:- In answer to Sarah's "Sleep deprivation" challenge to write a story where someone is sleep deprived because they love something or are busy with something. Rated for sexual content; enjoy and reviews would be lovely.
"James where are you?" Robbie shouted startling James from his day dream as he stretched lazily and Lewis stormed through the door waving a sheet of paper in front of him.
"What the hell Robbie you like you're about to burst a blood vessel what…"
"If you think I'm angry you better get that super brain of yours in gear to deal with something nuclear and I hope you have a good excuse because Jean is right behind me and she's ready to kill." Robbie interrupted tossing the paper on James's desk and sinking into the chair behind his own. "You remember the conversation we had with her yesterday about not doing anything rash or stupid because the Master of St John's is the Chief Constable's brother-in-law? You remember how Jean said she would keep him iff our backs provided we did things by the book?"
"Yeah she said if we over stepped and she got it in the ear she'd make sure we were both back in uniform before we could say cock-up but we have been good what's she mad about? I only left her in the car park an hour ago and we've been here ever since so we haven't had time to screw up." James replied. He couldn't understand what all the fuss was about and since he'd got only two hours sleep the night before he wasn't doing a very good job of working it out.
"You remember as well this morning when I asked you to check out the college about the possibility there was something off with the admissions policy and that I said do it discretely?"
"Oh god."
"Oh god doesn't begin to cover it James!" Jean shouted storming into the room before Robbie had a chance to speak again. "Discrete and careful, discrete and bloody careful that was all I asked! I was quite willing to let you both go with this ridiculous line of investigation because you were so convinced it was leading somewhere but I asked you to be careful! Now you've got the whole admissions department of St Johns College on the phone to the Chief Constable! Robbie give is a minute would you?"
"Ma'am it was as much my fault as….."
"Not this time inspector, you get down to St Johns and start putting out fires and do a good job of it or me tearing a strip off James will be the least of our problems." Jean interrupted turning to face Robbie and nodding toward the door as he followed her instructions giving James a final "good luck" glance as he did. Since James and their boss had become romantically involved a few months before he'd been able to talk her round most of the time when they got themselves in trouble. This time though, as he walked away from the office and heard the door slam, he was pretty sure his sergeant couldn't get himself out of this one so easily.
"Sweetheart I'm sorry it was supposed to be a single email to a contact I have in the admissions office. I don't know what happened." James said quietly trying to give Jean his best puppy dog expression even though he knew it was unlikely to work this time. When he got in that morning the three cups of coffee he'd had had done nothing to clear the fog of exhaustion on his mind. He'd gone to the St Johns website to get the email address of an old friend to ask if there was anything he should about corners being cut in an effort to get into the exclusive college. He's clicked on what he thought was the link to Paul's personal email address, now though having finally looked at the sheet of paper in front of him he realised he'd sent it to the general admissions panel email address instead.
"I know what happened! That bloody computer happened you've been up to all hours for three nights in a row you haven't had more than 6 hours sleep in the last 72! That's what happened!" Jean whispered angrily glancing through the window of the office to ensure that they weren't being over heard. While Robbie was all too aware of her and James's relationship the rest of the station wasn't and she didn't want them finding out by overhearing her discussing his sleeping habits. "I told you last night when you put the milk in the larder and the coffee in the fridge that you were sleep deprived but you knew best. I don't know what you're so fascinated with on that bloody thing this week but if you can't switch it off to sleep then we're going to have a serious problem! I can almost live with the fact you've been all but ignoring me but this has crossed a line! I'm going to speak to the Chief Constable, go home and pray that I can calm him down and Robbie can placate the admissions panel."
"Jean I'm sorry I just wanted to finish what I was sorting out so….."
"Save it James, I'll speak to you tonight just make sure when you get home you sleep or I swear I will throw that bloody computer out the window."
"Shit!" James muttered slamming his fist on the table in frustration as she stormed out of the office again. He knew this time he'd properly screwed up, he'd been trying to do something special but he'd got so carried away with that and doing it in time for the coming weekend that he'd lost all perspective on the real world. Now she and Robbie where having to pick up the pieces and he'd really wanted everything to be perfect but now he was going to have to work even harder to finish his plan. He needed to make it up to her and that meant, at least as first, sleep definitely wasn't a option. He had stuff to do, if he couldn't help fix the mess he'd made he could make sure that by the time she got home she might just realise that it was worth it. She would know why he'd been so attached to his computer and that rather than neglecting her he'd been trying to show her just how important she was to him.