A/N: I'M BAAA-AAACCK. I couldn't let this go. Thanks everyone for the kind reviews. What will happen? Will they ever get around to doing the dirty? I'm praying to Jesus!Crane that they do. Eventually...
The nights were getting longer and colder, and the demons that crept in at the edges of her vision came out to play more often now. Everything was darker; the night, the blood, even Crane himself was more brooding than ever. Something she hadn't thought possible, until secrets starting spilling from purgatory into this world. Abbie could understand his listlessness, his mood that swung from one end of the spectrum to the other. She didn't know if anyone else could see it, but she saw the stress that had settled in around his eyes, the tension in the set of his jaw. It was there, always now. Whether in the archives engrossed in books or in the streets chasing demons that seemed content to tease them. Evil that drew their personal demons out to play but never coming close enough to do the damage themselves.
The purr of the engine stopped, the quiet of the woods at Corbin's cabin taking it's place. Without bothering to look at her partner, she laid her head back against the seat and let out a exhausted yawn, stretching her arms up until she felt a satisfying burn in them. The day had been way too long, too hectic, just too much.
"God, I could fall asleep right this second and sleep for a hundred years."
The comment wasn't lost on Crane. "Hmm," he let out a low chuckle. " I loathe to tell you this, Lieutenant, but even two hundred years of sleep wouldn't prepare you for this journey we've found ourselves on."
She laughed, her head lolling to the side and resting on her arm propped against the door. "I guess you'd be the one to know, huh, Rip Van Winkle."
He raised one glorious eyebrow at her comment, but before he could even ask, she waved a hand in surrender. Those fucking eyebrows, she thought. His face distracted her more than she was ready to admit.
"It's a story, a bit after your time I suppose," she answered, sleepiness overtaking her voice. "Dude only slept for 20 years though. I'd settle for that."
For a few more minutes, they sat silent in the car. A comfortable silence though, as it usually was with him. Sometimes she could still hear the wheels turning in his mind, see it in his face. Her eyes felt heavy, sleep looming over her. She knew if he didn't get headed home soon she'd be too far gone to get herself home, but her body felt like lead and she couldn't muster the energy to move.
"Miss Mills...Miss Mills!" A hand on her arm was jostling her awake. "Lieutenant!"
Her eyes popped open, Crane still jostling her arm.
"You're falling to sleep, Miss Mills."
Her eyes closed again. "Yeah," she mumbled. "Yeah, I'm going."
"No, you are not going. You're sleeping," he argued, in his most annoying literal tone.
"Lieutenant, you are too tired to drive home."
Her head fell forward, her neck jerking her awake. "No I'm fine, I'm not going to sleep in the car. I can make it home."
"No, please stay here tonight. You may use the bedroom, I'll be fine on the couch. You are in no condition to be operating a vehicle, " he gently scolded.
Her expression soured at his tone. She knew he was going to say that. The last thing she needed was to be in his bedroom, in his bed. They'd finally gotten past the whole 'Crane in bed saying her name' awkwardness, although she hadn't gotten past the 'having dreams about Crane in bed' problem that, thank whatever gods, he didn't know about.
They argued the point for a few minutes. She finally gave up fighting, but only if I sleep on the couch, she'd said. She was so sleepy, she could barely make it out of the car and into the cabin. He helped her up the steps and into the living area.
He wasn't budging, though. "No, you are my guest, I won't be able to sleep well knowing you've been relegated to the couch." He led her to the bedroom, despite her feeble attempt at a protest. She felt like a sleep walking zombie.
She made one last attempt. "Crane, no I can't sleep in your bed."
"Yes, you can, and you will. You can close the door, have your privacy. I shall be a perfect gentleman, on my best behaviour."
Oh yeah, there you go Crane. Go there, why don't you. Perfect gentlemen, she thought. That's part of the damn problem. All perfect and proper until I walk in and find you jerking one out and then I can't sleep worth a shit for weeks on end.
Abbie gave him a sarcastic smile.
"Sleep well, lieutenant, " he said, closing the door, leaving her to herself in this damn bedroom that she'd been dreaming of almost every night since she'd walked in on him
She struggled out of her jacket, removing her weapon and holster, laying them across the bedside table. She slipped her bra and boots and socks off, unbuttoning her jeans before falling into the bed and snuggling under the covers. His scent was strong on the bedding, like the old books in the archive and that slighty spicy musky smell that was all male, and all Crane. It felt comforting and safe, yet her stomach flipped and flopped at the thought of laying in the same bed he slept in every night. The same bed he'd lain naked in and touched himself to the thought of her. She groaned out loud at the thought of that, and settled herself in for a night of restless sleep.