Chapter 1
It was 1am and as far as she knew she was alone, she liked it that way she could work in peace and quite without interruptions. 4am came and went and she worked steadfastly through the ballistics, only allowing herself to rest when she knew she'd got a match to the bullet in her hand. Sitting down at the lab table she allowed herself to doze, just to rest her eyes, just to help herself think more clearly. That wasn't going to happen. She was so tired now, her eyes slowly closing, without her consent. Her head lolling forward onto her arms folded against the desk, her head slumped into them, not wishing to fight it any longer. As sleep crept through her, the dreams started, indistinct at first but growing, turning to full Technicolor within minutes of her hitting REM sleep.
How long he stared and watched her, he didn't know, he didn't care all he thought about was how beautiful she looked, he heard her gentle sighs and moans as she slept and wondered what she dreamt of that could cause her to stir so visibly. Her head moving from side to side on her arms, her hair flowing around her face He wanted to wake her, to ask her but he couldn't, he wouldn't wake her from her blissful slumber. Yet he wondered, maybe she dreamed of him, yeah sure who was he kidding, she was far too good for him. Well we can all dream he thought as he turned to leave the room. Something stirred deep inside her, a feeling a tingle that started in her toes and spread like fingers climbing up her body, spreading throughout her making the hairs on the back of her neck prickle.
In an instant she was awake, someone had been watching her she knew that, the feeling cut through her like a knife, who had been watching her? As far as she knew she was alone, she shook herself to try to rid herself of the feeling, but it wouldn't go away. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling she noted just put her on edge she didn't like to be caught napping, especially seen, as she should be working. The images of her dreams thundered back into her conscience self and she sighed deep long and hard. That's when she smelled it, just a passing faint waft stirred by the slight breeze from outside the lab. It smelt distinctly familiar yet she couldn't place it, her mind still foggy from the dreams that had so vividly sent her spiralling out of control.
Dragging herself out of the chair she headed for the coffee machine in the break room, her footfalls slow and deliberate, silent as a cat she stalked into the lounge, coffee she needed coffee! No way she could get through the next few hours without caffeine. She was dead on her feet she knew but the case, god the case she had to get back on the ballistics report. He heard her leave the lab even though she padded cat like down the corridor on bare feet, he thought for a second before he made a decision. Stopping at the lounge door he watched her again, he was doing a lot of that lately just standing and watching, he saw her pick up her large latte mug and fill it with coffee. She had no idea he was there, he hadn't announced his arrival as normal with a "Knock Knock" he was just content to watch, to allow his mind to wander, his eyes to roam over her. She spun round unexpectedly and his eyes went into freefall not knowing where to look.
She finished pouring herself a huge mug of coffee she turned hastily to get back to the lab only to see the doorway blocked ahead of her. She started with fright.
"You ok?" he asked his eyes dipped to the floor before they raised to meet hers, a half smile just touching the corners of his mouth. "Tired sorry, you scared me, I thought I was alone" she beamed back at him,
"I need to get this report finished then I'm off home to sleep for a week!"
Oh my god what was he doing here, she realised what she'd said after she said it, no she'd told him she was tired, mentally slapping herself she offered a cheery "See ya" as she went to negotiate the small gap between him and the door frame. He turned slightly sideways to let her past but not enough, she felt her bare arm brush his sleeve, bare skin against silk and the tingle spread again as she realised what the smell was, as she realised that it was he who had been watching her. She stopped dead in her tracks as his arm came up blocking her path, blocking her escape route, Her mind racing now she didn't trust her voice, he'd watched her, he'd seen her sleep, oh god no her dreams, what if he knew, what if she called out, oh lord how was she going to get out of this one. Sheepishly she raised her eyes he was looking down at her his blue eyes twinkling in the fluorescent light from the corridor,
"Go home, get some sleep, finish your report tomorrow...That's an order detective!" She couldn't meet those eyes she dare not, not standing in such close proximity to him, she didn't trust herself, didn't trust her eyes not to give her away. Ducking her head under his arm, she felt like she was slipping out of his web. "I'm going... I'm going OK good night" she shot back at him, her voice trembled as she tried to hide the emotion that was welling up inside her, glancing quickly back trying to hide her eyes from his, she hit wide and totally missed, he locked her up, his eyes searching, probing digging. She was running scared now and he knew it.