A/N: Just a bit of Gill/Rachel h/c for y'all :) The bits in italics are lyrics from the song 'Picking up the Pieces', which I thought fitted this rather well. I don't own any of it (unfortunately) and if you have time to leave a quick review I'd love to know what you think of this :)
"Boss," Rachel said as she stuck her head round the door to Gill's office, before bounding in with her usual enthusiasm, not bothering to knock.
"Come in, why don't you?" Gill commented in a sarcastic tone but nevertheless took off her glasses to look at the young detective. Gill recognised the look she had on her face and was willing to accept an occasional lapse in manners in turn for one of Rachel's 'Sherlock moments'.
For once, this comment actually stopped Rachel. Normally she would have ploughed on regardless, knowing she had spotted an inaccuracy that was vital to the investigation and knowing this was worth interrupting her boss' work. Professionally, she knew Gill was impressed by her; a compliment from the DCI was like gold dust and Rachel had received her fair share. But sometimes she wondered what she'd have to do for Gill to notice her, to be impressed by her, personally.
Improve her manners no doubt. She was sure Chris never forgot to use a senior officer's title, he was politeness personified. Secretly, Rachel thought he was a bit of a smarmy bastard, but then she doubted she'd really like anyone who Gill was dating.
Do you wish I was a bit more like him?
Rachel doubted it, almost laughed at the ridiculousness that Gill would suddenly proclaim her love for her if she stopped interrupting and always said please and thank you.
"I was watching back the interview Janet did with Jennifer and there's just one thing he says that seems a bit strange," Rachel began.
xxx
"…So she must have known." Gill's eyes lit up as she finished the sentence for her Rachel. She couldn't help but smile back, conversations like this made her feel invincible. The two police officers continued to make links, both as quickly as each other. Rachel's thoughts were the mirror image of Gill's and Gill loved this, she'd never worked with anyone with whom she could have these types of conversations so quickly. She was sure her heartbeat had sped up but she put this down to the fact they'd potentially just solved the case they'd been slaving over for the past two weeks. It had nothing to do with the way Rachel was looking at her.
Do you think of me when you're with him?
Sometimes Rachel wished she had the guts to ask Gill to go for a drink. They often went to the pub as a group, or with Janet, but never alone. Rachel supposed Gill had better things to be doing with her weekend than socialising with one of her irritating colleagues. She no doubt wanted to see Chris. On the odd occasion he had come into the office for some reason or another, the chemistry between him and Gill had been immediately apparent. They were one of those couples whose eyes gave them away, no matter how much they tried to tone it down to avoid being the subject of station gossip. Rachel was sure Gill had turned those deep flirtatious eyes on her in the past too, but when Chris was around she was invisible.
Rachel shook her head of these thoughts and hoped Gill hadn't said anything that required a response. She silently chided herself for letting her attention slide, after all she was sure Chris paid attention to Gill's every word. The DCI had replaced her glasses and begun to type frantically, eyes focussed upon something on the computer screen. The younger detective took this as a cue that her presence was no longer needed and she stood up, moving to leave her boss' office.
"Where do you think you're going Sherlock?" Gill questioned sternly, but with a small smile upon her face. "I need you to interview the delightful Jennifer Hudgens. You've got half an hour to prep."
"Don't you want Janet to do it?" Rachel countered, slightly surprised that Gill was entrusting her with such an important interview and not opting for one of her colleagues with a Tier Three qualification.
"No you're perfectly capable; you can use it for your portfolio." She paused. "Oh and Rachel? Well done, kid." There was a detectable hint of pride in Gill's voice as she complimented her and Rachel couldn't help but grin back.
xxx
At the briefing the next morning, everyone's pleasure at getting a confession from Hudgens could still be detected; the whole team seeming happier and chattier than usual. Gill's mood, on the other hand, seemed to completely contrast with that of the rest of the room. She shouted at Kevin more times than usual during the briefing and even when she was talking to Janet, her smile didn't reach her eyes.
"I've got a meeting with the Chief Con, see if at least one of you can find out something worth telling me when I get back." Gill made this announcement to no one in particular as she swept past Kevin's desk, the blazer of her suit now buttoned up.
"What's up with her?" Rachel whispered rather loudly across her desk to Janet.
Janet answered in a much more effective whisper, that the rest of the room couldn't hear. "Well I heard a rather nasty rumour that her toyboy is sleeping with Sasha from Syndicate Five." Janet said, not normally one to gossip but she knew Rachel wouldn't pass it on.
"What a fucking twat." Janet would normally scold her, or at the very least look disapproving at the use of such foul language but this time she simply nodded in agreement.
xxx
The end of the day arrived far too slowly and there still hadn't been any progress with the case. Gill had returned from her meeting and barely left her office for the rest of the afternoon, keeping the door closed as a barrier between her and the rest of the world. The detectives began to trickle out of the room and off home, whilst Rachel stayed late, as usual, to finish the report she was writing.
A knock on her office door startled Gill slightly; although she knew Rachel was still in the office, she wasn't expecting anyone to come near her after the snappy behaviour she'd exhibited earlier in the day.
"Do you want a coffee, boss?" Rachel stuck her head round the door and asked with a smile.
It was the smallest kind gesture but Gill was struck with the sudden urge to burst into tears, which was very uncharacteristic and definitely wouldn't do her tough 'Godzilla' image any good.
"I think I need something stronger than coffee. Fancy a drink over the road?" Gill didn't realise what she had asked until the words were out of her mouth, before she'd thought about the fact that she and Rachel never socialised and that it might be awkward or uncomfortable.
"Yeah sure, give me five minutes to finish this report." Rachel accepted immediately and tried to rid her stomach of the butterflies that had appeared as soon as Gill had fixed her eyes upon her.
xxx
The pair had started their conversation in The Grapes about work. That was safe ground and they both had plenty to say; both verging upon workaholics. However, a couple of glasses of wine later the conversation had turned slightly more personal and Rachel was itching to say something about Chris' alleged behaviour. If she had been sober, Rachel would probably have avoided this topic entirely, knowing what a private person Gill is, but the alcohol had lowered her inhibitions.
"Are you ok, boss? I heard about Chris. If you ask me, he's a total idiot, I mean who'd want a slapper like Sasha when they could be with you instead?" Rachel paused and held her breath, despite having a little to drink, she still knew that was a risky sentence and hoped Gill wouldn't fly off the handle and tell her to mind her own business.
Instead, the older woman smiled slightly, knowing that for Rachel that was a very heartfelt statement. She reached out and covered Rachel's outstretched hand which was resting upon the table with her own. "Thank you." Gill swiped quickly at the solitary tear running down her cheek, hoping Rachel hadn't seen.
Now he's gone
And I'm picking up the pieces.
I watch you cry
But you don't see that I'm the one by your side.
The two women had left the pub before long, although not before finishing their second bottle of wine. Both too drunk to drive, the pair wobbled down the street, trying to locate a cab.
Suddenly, Rachel stumbled, tripping over nothing in particular, but lurching dangerously close to the busy road. Gill reached out for her and linked arms with her for stability. She told herself it was solely for Rachel's benefit, but in all honesty it was probably helping her to stay upright as well.
The pair slowly continued down the road, aimlessly chattering in a slightly drunken way about nothing in particular when Gill interrupted very loudly; her volume control slightly gone. "I've decided all men are idiots. I'm giving them up."
Rachel tried to stop her heart leaping and her brain over thinking that sentence and interpreting it in a manner which was probably entirely different to how Gill had meant it. But then she looked over at Gill and the flirtatious look in her eyes gave Rachel just the little bit of hope she needed.
Bright headlights heralded the arrival of their taxi and the moment was broken but despite dreading the certain hangover when she awoke in five hours time, Rachel fell asleep that night feeling the happiest she had in a very long time. Although she was almost certain Gill didn't like her like that, it was the tiny part of hope that kept her going.
Now he's gone
And I'm picking up the pieces.
And all that's left is you and I.