All rights to the usual suspects.

A/N: The withdrawal symptoms got too much for me, two weeks was too long, so this is to fill the gap for a little while because Series 2 still seems a long way off for an addict like me. I know that as a first chapter it's a bit on the long side, but it includes the prologue, so ….. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

-OG_

Prologue

"Hello"

"'ello" She paused "It's me"

"I know who it is, what's the matter, what's wrong?"

"Nothin' … why should anything be wrong?"

"Because, let me see now, it's gone one o-clock" He paused "In the morning"

"Is it?" She pretended to be surprised as she prepared to lie "Oh shit it is, sorry, had no idea, I'll go, let you get back to …. well, whatever it was you was doing"

"What do you think I was doing? No, don't answer that" There was a long pause before he spoke again "Have you been drinking?"

"Me? Nah course not"

"Are you sure? You sound as though you might have had the odd drink … or two"

"Well I 'avn't …. why do you always think the worst of me?"

"I can't imagine, sorry" she could hear the doubt and disbelief that was still in his voice even as he exhaled a short snort of laughter "Molly?"

"What?"

"Is there something in particular I can do for you, I mean, is that why you've rung me at ….." He paused to check the time again "At, ummm, at 12 minutes past 1?"

"I thought it might be nice to have a little chat, I was awake and well ….. I just thought I'd ring"

"Usually when people call at this time of the night it's because there's a problem, and I'm not saying it's not nice to talk to you, but if you remember I gave you my phone number in case of an emergency, so if this is …"

"… Not an emergency" She finished his sentence for him "Nah it's not, sorry, I'll get off 'n leave you to it"

"Molly?"

"What?"

"It was really nice having this little chat with you"

She could hear the laughter in his voice even though he was trying his best to disguise it. She could picture him, he would have tucked the tip of his tongue behind his top teeth and then bitten his bottom lip, a dead amused expression on his face making his eyes crease up. Even though she couldn't see him she knew it'd be there, she'd seen it over and over, well, what felt like a million times when she'd caught him looking at her and when he'd spoken to her like that. Maybe it might have been good to get Skype cos then she'd be able to see him, although she wasn't terribly sure she wanted him to be able to see her at that moment, she didn't feel like she was really looking her best.

"Good night"

"Night"

"Go on then, hang up"

"You 'ang up first"

"I can't do that, I'm a gentleman and a gentleman never hangs up first when he's talking to a lady" He was laughing "We'll do it together, after three, you ready? One….. Two…. Three"

Neither of them said anything to fill the very prolonged silence that followed his count, the only sound was that of soft breathing until eventually she got tired of waiting for him to say something.

"Did you just call me a lady?"

"Of course, what else would I call you? And I thought we were saying goodnight … and goodbye"

"Did you? Oh yeah, that's right we were, weren't we? …. But you're wide awake now like me, aren't you, so we could just have a chat for a bit, I mean might as well, you're not going to get straight back off to sleep are you?"

"I wasn't asleep"

"Why not? You got any idea what the time is?" She giggled, emboldened by the fact that he was laughing and hadn't put the phone down on her "What were you doing then?"

"Mind your own business"

He still sounded as though he was enjoying their chat so she tried to shut her mind to her sudden concern that there might be someone there with him, she hadn't thought of that possibility before she'd pressed the numbers he'd given her. It was only now it occurred to her that he might be having a drink or a chat or something with someone else but after considering it for a few seconds she dismissed it, telling herself he was definitely on his own, well you could just tell these things couldn't you? Maybe she had second sight like Nan's mate Freda, or it might just have been wishful thinking that convinced her that he was alone.

"If you must know I was watching a film"

"Is it any good?"

"No, total rubbish, I make a habit of watching shit films at …" He paused to laugh and then looked at the clock again "20 past 1 in the morning"

"Do you?"

"Of course not …. how much did you say you'd had to drink"

"Not enough"

"I thought you said ….. it doesn't matter, and of course it's a good film otherwise I wouldn't be watching it would I? Not that I am watching it at the moment"

"Why not? Oh no lucky old you, you're talking to me instead aren't you? So, what is it? The film I mean"

"What is this, the Spanish Inquisition?"

"What's that when it's at home? Nah, it's not Spanish anything, I'm just interested, aren't I?"

"Nosy more like"

"Yeah, that as well"

"Come on, busy day tomorrow, and you need to get some sleep"

"You sayin' I need some beauty sleep? Cheeky git, mind you come to think of it you're probably right … night"

"I didn't say you needed ….. never mind, good night, sleep well"

"And you"

"I will, and I'm hanging up now, I mean it"

"Thought you was a gentleman"

"Not any more I'm not, good night"

-OG-

"Might have known it, what now?"

"Sorry, think I must 'ave pressed re-dial by mistake" There was the sound of a stifled giggle "You never told me what film you was watching"

"What difference does it make considering I'm not watching it? Bloody chance would be a fine thing, wouldn't it?"

"Thought you might not be sayin' cos it was one of them late night channels, you know, porn"

"As if I'd tell you if it was" He snorted "But it's not, okay?"

"Okay, keep your hair on, just thought I might put it on 'n watch it as well, then we could sort of watch it together, there's no need to get all shitty"

"I'm not getting shitty, and I'm sorry to disappoint you but it's not porn, and it's not some rom-com either, so you'd hate it, it's an old black and white … in the original Japanese …. with sub-titles"

"Really?"

"Nope"

"That's not funny" She tried her best to sound affronted in a voice that wouldn't have convinced anyone, especially not him "What film is it then?"

"God, Molly, you're like a bloody terrier, it's called "Above us the Waves" and it is an old black and white war film all about a submarine and it's bloody good, satisfied?"

"Have to take your word for it being good, mate, I'm too young to know anything about war films and all the rest of that shit"

"So am I I'll have you know, so, are you going to tell me what's up? I'd have thought you were a little dormouse, I would never have had you down as an insomniac like me, so come on tell me, has something upset you, is that why you can't sleep?"

"Nah course not, it's just …. there was this bloke tonight singing, you know …. and he was actually quite good, well not bad, not as good as you of course …."

"Of course not …" She could hear the smirk in his voice "I thought you said you weren't in the pub"

"I weren't ….. anyhow this bloke was singing this old song, you'd probably know it I expect, and I was listening, you know, to the words 'n I've never done that before, not like that anyhow"

"You were there again, weren't you?"

"Got no idea what you're talking about, mate"

"Yes you have" She heard his sharp intake of breath, then the controlled irritation that was obvious in every syllable "You're not going to stop, are you? There's nothing I can say that is going to make any difference at all, is there?"

"I know you mean well, 'n I know its cos you sort of care, but there's no need, I'm fine so ….. just don't worry, I don't"

"You are going to drive me fucking insane you know that don't you? Goodnight Molly" His voice had lost all its jokey affectionate edge so that he sounded serious and resigned.

"Night"

-OG-

"Okay, I give up, what was he singing?"

"'ello Bossman, 'ow are you? It's a bit late to be ringing innit?"

"Stop it" She heard him take a deep breath as he tried to control his irritation "And stop calling me that" He paused again and took another audibly deep breath, almost sighing as he breathed out "Just tell me what he was singing, okay?"

"Can't remember now"

"Fuck sake, you really are trying to drive me completely bloody nuts aren't you?"

"Nah, course not, what do you take me for?" She paused then giggled "Am I?"

"Without a shadow of a doubt" He took another audible breath as he attempted to control the urge he'd got to release some frustration by shouting at her "What would you say if I asked you to meet me for a drink or to go and get something to eat?"

"It's a bit late innit?" She giggled "So, this is like a date or some'ing is it?"

"You know full well I didn't mean …. right now, I meant tomorrow or the day after" He paused, his voice noticeably softer as he carried on "It's not a date, not really, but we need a chat …. about being safe, and all sorts of things really, so how about it? Just you and me, face to face?"

"What about Lauren?"

"I think Lauren is one of the things we need to chat about" He went quiet for a moment as he thought carefully about what to say next "I suppose I could always ask her to join us, if you want me to"

-OG-OG-OG-OG-OG-OG-OG-

CHAPTER ONE

Six Weeks Earlier

She'd been in love with him for almost six months, from the very first moment she'd clapped eyes on him after Lauren had introduced her to her big brother. Lauren, friend, work-mate and sometime partner in crime who had this bloody drop dead gorgeous brother, albeit not very tall but then you can't have everything and she was a bit on the short side herself so it didn't matter that much, unless the stories about height being relevant to the size of other things were true but then she hadn't found that out yet, hadn't been given the chance. He had this dark hair and was very, very fit, in more ways than one. Jamie, who had muscles where every bloke should have them, but mostly hadn't in her experience, Jamie with the six-pack she wanted to run her hands over, whose bright blue eyes crinkled up at the corners when he smiled at her, and who was perfect for her in every way, if you ignored the fact that he hadn't noticed just how perfect she was, or that he already had a bloody steady girlfriend. It was hard work but she did her best to hide the way she lusted after him whenever they went anywhere, to the pub or bowling, something she was totally useless at.

She'd worked with Lauren for what felt like forever in the offices of the Housing at the local Council, or the Social Housing as they were supposed to call it these days, although worked was maybe a slight exaggeration, they turned up every day, mostly, and got paid at the end of the month. Lauren spent most of her days planning her perfect wedding, window-shopping on-line for everything from her dress to the flowers and table settings, bridesmaids dresses, wedding rings, you name it she'd picked it, planned it, even down to what knickers she was going to wear, in fact the only thing missing was the groom who had yet to put in any sort of appearance. She and Lauren also spent a lot of the time when they were supposed to be working giggling together at the profiles of potential candidates on the dating site that had the pleasure of taking Lauren's money off of her in her never-ending quest to find the elusive perfect bridegroom, or any bloody bridegroom actually.

Lauren couldn't for the life of her see what Molly saw in Jamie, she accepted he wasn't bad looking, and that he spent a lot of time at the gym, but as far as she could tell that meant parading about being a poseur and admiring himself. She reckoned he was a total slob, with horrible habits, like farting and then laughing about it. Molly would put her hands over her ears and start 'tra-la-la-la-ing' when Lauren started on about him, saying sisters always thought their brothers were rubbish and that she weren't going to listen, even though she had this sneaky suspicion that there was quite a lot of truth in what Lauren was saying. On the other hand that didn't stop her heart from fluttering, as well as more basic bits of her, whenever she looked at him, at his dark hair and his baby blue eyes and it certainly didn't stop her knees from turning to custard when he said 'hello' or when he smiled at her the way he did.

-OG-

Offhand she couldn't imagine what she'd been thinking of, and even if she could it didn't count for anything once she was stuck playing gooseberry to Lauren and her latest error of judgement, but Lauren had begged and begged, saying she needed moral support and that it was only for a quick drink, just him and some of the blokes he worked with, his mates, and that then her and Lauren could go on somewhere else.

Molly had said 'nah' and 'over my dead body' about a gazzillion times before Lauren had played her trump card and told her that Jamie was going with them so that she'd rushed off home to put on her sexiest top, the one that showed a bit of cleavage and wished she had time to wash her hair to get all the kinks out, but had to settle for tying it back in a pony-tail, knowing that it made her look about twelve when what she really wanted was to look all sexy and irresistible. Even changing from her usual tight, tatty jeans into a floaty Indian type skirt that she'd bought in the market didn't help, apparently Jamie only liked girlie girls who wore skirts, but to say she wasn't sure about it would be an understatement. She bloody hated it, thought it made her look like some sort of lampshade that someone had sat on, and on top of that Lauren didn't tell her until it was too late that Jamie was taking bloody Dee to the pub as well but that was her own fault cos she should have asked. But it did mean that she was left playing spare part to couples wherever she looked except for his mates, who turned out to be a bunch of completely rat-arsed soldiers, just like him really. They were loudly enjoying themselves ripping the piss out of her, so that she wondered if it was some new way of trying to get in her knickers, although looking like a twelve year old who was wearing a lampshade, she somehow doubted it.

"You telling us you've played this before darling? You any good?"

With a name like Smurf Lauren's latest should by rights have been painted bright blue, and Molly had taken an almost instant dislike to him. Apart from boasting that he'd joined the dating thingy for a bet because he was bunk-up material who could have his pick, he was as loud as the rest with a permanent pissed leer on his gob and he was annoying the fuck out of her strutting about being patronising and cocky so that she couldn't wait to show him just how good at it she was. She'd loathed him on sight and after an hour in his company still couldn't find anything about him to make her change her mind.

Admittedly it had been a while but she used to be so thoroughly shit-hot that only strangers had accepted the challenge of playing against her for money, although she knew it was probably best not to say anything about that now in case she might need a few strokes to get her touch back, although that was fairly unlikely bearing in mind the hours she'd spent in the Earl perfecting her technique. However, she didn't want to run the risk of looking stupid in front of this lot, well alright, in front of Jamie. The regular punters in the Earl used to snigger at the naivety of blokes like Smurf who'd take one look at her titchy fifteen year old self and make all sorts of assumptions so that those in the know would then go on to make a shed-load of money in side bets.

Half an hour later and she was in her element. At first it had been a fucking nightmare so she'd been dead glad she hadn't said, for some reason she couldn't seem to hit a barn door at fifty paces as Nan would say, let alone pot anything except the cue ball and she'd done that over and over. The more she missed, the worse she'd got. She told herself it was nerves, or maybe the one or two little drinks she'd had, not that she was drunk, but just knowing that Jamie was watching her had made her so bloody twitchy that the only bit she was any good at was chalking the bottom of the cue with that little blue thing and then she'd done the wrong end twice. Lining up a shot with hands that were shaking meant it all went straight to shit so that sometimes she missed the cue ball altogether, either that or she mis-hit it so badly that it went trundling across the table in slow-fucking-motion, wobbling so slowly that it wouldn't have made any of the others move even if by some bloody fluke it had hit one of them.

They were all having a great time watching her make a total tit of herself as she tried to laugh it off at the same time as avoiding looking directly at Jamie, she could just imagine the expression on his face and it definitely wasn't the one she wanted to see. He was good at pool, well he was good at bowling as well, was probably good at everything, and was obviously having a great time beating the others, and all the lads were now betting on which shot she'd fuck up next. Smurf, full of his usual cocky confidence as well as playing to the gallery, AKA Lauren, had made this huge bet with the one they called Fingers, the self-appointed bookmaker, as they all tried to out-do one another.

Suddenly, something clicked for her and she was that kid again, back in the Earl, too young to drink the booze they bought for her, which she drank anyway, although never enough to spoil her magic touch with the pool cue. When she finished it went a bit quiet while they all looked at each other and then they crowded round, yelling and cursing, so that just for a moment she felt a bit small and vulnerable. Fingers was the only one that was still grinning, he'd absolutely raked it in and had happily patted her on the back before counting out his spoils on the rim of the table as the others accused her of being a fucking pool shark, a hustler, a con-artist who'd suckered them, which she thought was a bit bloody rich, seeing as how betting had been nothing to do with her, it had been all their own idea.

"Alright lads, I think that'll do, don't you?"

-OG-