Author Note: Even though I have exams in a couple of weeks I really want to have this series completed by the turn of the year so look forward to updates between now and then. :)

Umbrella

"Jackie, do you have an umbrella today?" Robbie asked, sauntering over to her side if their shared desk.

"It's pissing with rain and I am walking home so yep," she muttered sarcastically, not looking across from the screen in front of her.

"I don't suppose there's any chance I could use it to get home?"

"And end up with me getting soaked; I'm leaning on the side of no right now."

"But you live so much closer and have the shelter of dozens of shops that I don't."

"Bugger off Robbie, go home quickly or go in somewhere on your way in which you can buy an umbrella of your own." He stood staring at her, trying to get her to back down but she just smirked and started work on her computer again.

"Robbie, if you carry on like this I could simply toddle off to CS Campbell's office and tell her that I'm doing my own paperwork and half that of a certain other Detective Inspector."

He laid his forearms on the back of her chair and his head on her shoulder, "You wouldn't dare because you would miss me, isn't that right?"

She faced him again, "Of course I'd miss you - so desperately that I don't know why I would want such an easy life."

"That's the spirit," he replied before kissing her lightly on the cheek, "We could always share the umbrella."

He leaned against her desk to face her while she let out a sigh, "I still have a good hour's work left here, you'd be home and dry by then."

"But that way I wouldn't get an offer of a drink when we get to your place, and we would go in to our empty houses and wonder when our lives got to be so shit."

"Fine, whatever, you can wait if you want to. You can learn how a proper cop works."

"Bitchy but I still love you."

She caught his eye and didn't know what to read from them, they were still unsure of where their friendship/relationship/whatever the hell it was, stood. Since their undercover work in which they shared a couple of kisses she had split up with Chris and had never breathed a word of the reasoning behind it to her friends because it would mess everything up again - other men in her life always seemed to do that and they always wrongly believed she was having it off with Robbie. Understandably though, Chris had more to back-up his assumption than the rest but it did hurt progressively more each time because Robbie continued to fuck anyone in sight as soon as their flirting moved in the direction of something more.

As the time passed quite quickly - considering the company - Jackie managed to finish the reports within forty-five minutes but by that point rain was pouring even heavier and they regretted staying until late. When they got to the main entrance she opened the reasonably sized umbrella and realised Robbie had not even bothered to bring a jacket to the station that morning. Shaking her head in disbelief she was going to give him sole use of the umbrella as she had lost all the care she had about the rain, and in any case she had enjoyed winding him up earlier about it.

She would have gave him it had he not put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his side, allowing them both protection from the weather, and he did not let go once they had silently established there was going to be little personal space during the walk. They continued like that for a while until she couldn't help but rest her head against his chest as he tightened his grip on her, his lips pressing down on her head. Neither wanted to reach her home because they knew they would end up awkwardly letting go of one another before going through the front door and having a drink, going no further forward before she persuaded him to leave in the very early hours with nothing more than a quick peck on the cheek.

They should have both been used to this way of things after this amount of time but they weren't, they only wanted to be with the person whom they were so close to yet that was going to be the most difficult thing for them to admit. Savouring the last moments in the embrace Jackie laced her fingers through his on her shoulder and smiled - they were in a bubble out of the rain and in a bubble of feelings - their unique way of enjoying the other's company as it always was between them.