This chapter is all based around text messages. (Because, you know, having a whole episode without Janet was just inconceivable – even if the real episode was brilliant – so I had to work Janet in somehow. It was supposed to be short but it ran away with me. There may be another section that takes up the rest of the episode. I've written some of it but the amount of angst keeps depressing me and I get sidetracked. I'm going on holiday today so updates will probably be a bit scarce.

Thank you for the reviews! It's nice to know people are reading it. :)

Series 2 – episode 3.

Janet checked her phone automatically as she came out of the school with Elise. With her job, you never knew when there would be an important call. It had been hard enough switching it to silent for half an hour during the meeting with Elise's form teacher. Janet had thought it wise to make an effort though, she knew Elise would kill her for embarrassing her in front of her teachers. Luckily, it had all gone well, fast. Elise was the brainy one after all, well on track with her coursework and Janet was glad to see that she didn't even seem that stressed about it all. The screen of her phone lit up with a missed call from Andy's personal mobile, and a text message. She ignored the call and hit the buttons to read the message. Please don't be him. She just couldn't be bothered. The screen changed. Rachel.

Been kidnapped by Godzilla. Goin to be away for a couple of days x

Janet read the text twice before she even half understood what it meant. Rachel off with Gill somewhere – work obviously, but what? It was all very sudden, very hush-hush. For a fleeting moment she entertained the thought that it could be something else, something personal but she dismissed it at once. Gill wasn't like that, even if Rachel was. Janet and Gill had been friends for nearly twenty years now and she knew Gill wasn't that good at keeping secrets. Although, Gill probably would have said the same about her and Janet could think of several secrets she was keeping from Gill right at that moment. You thought you knew someone but, of course, you could never see inside their head. Still, Janet reckoned she was pretty hot stuff when it came to reading other people and she had never picked up that Gill was interested in Rachel personally. Professionally, now that was another matter. Gill was all over Rachel. In good ways and bad, Janet mused. Rachel used to only see the bad – the bollockings, calling to heel over matters of procedure and attitude, the hard-to-impress bitch of a boss act. More recently, Janet thought Rachel had begun to appreciate Gill's interest in her. She owed her a hell of a lot, after all. It had been high time she woke up to what a lucky girl she was. But the two of them away somewhere, for a couple of days, this was different. Janet wondered how they would get on, if they would manage to stick it out without killing each other. Must be a pretty important case too, to drag Gill away from her syndicate and require her to take another officer. It would certainly be interesting to follow developments. Janet hit the reply button on her phone.

...

Rachel heard her phone buzz against the bedside table. She had been staring at the ceiling for ten minutes, at least. Nothing to see but the dim images swirling round her brain. She rolled over. She wasn't sure who she most wanted the message to be from.

Dom – letting her know he was ok, hopefully. His silence was worrying her.

Alison – might have some news on Dom.

Janet – would be sure to make her feel better.

She wished Janet was here, close by and part of the investigation. Rachel knew she was doing fine. She knew she could stand on her own feet with genuine confidence these days rather than her previous brash arrogance. But still... She missed Janet's calm presence and logical approach, her intuition. Rachel knew in her gut that Janet was still better at reading people than her. For now. She picked up the phone and looked at the blank, dark screen. Could be bad news.

Dom – could have been up to anything.

Alison – letting her know about Dom, if something had happened, but she would phone if it was that bad, surely.

Janet. Most likely be Janet. Rachel hit the buttons and watched the message light up. She smiled. Jan.

Ooh sounds exciting. Wheres she whisked u away to? Elise says hi x

Rachel had a rush of longing for her friend's presence. Her smile, her voice, her comforting smell, the atmosphere she brought with her into a room. Get a grip. She was going soft in her old age, clearly. It was quite disturbing, actually, the way she was missing her. She had only been away a couple of hours. It was just... knowing she was going to be away for days, or maybe it was because she was upset about Dom anyway, or the strange room. Rachel didn't much like hotels. Ones like this rather reminded her Nick's flat. Smart. Soulless. Just the sort of aesthetic she used to aspire towards. Until she got it. And everything went tits up. She still felt a shudder of revulsion spreading through her when she thought about him. Rachel turned her attention back to her phone, fingers flying as she tried to compose a message that might make Janet smile. She pictured the arch of her light eyebrows, the way her forehead wrinkled, then the way her cheekbones lifted as her lips stretched, and the way her eyes would light up at the very last moment so you knew she meant it. Thinking about that would keep Rachel's mind off the bad stuff.

...

Janet didn't get the next text till a while after she got home. She hadn't heard the phone buzz in her bag when she was driving, not with Elise turning the radio up full blast when that Florence song came on. And when she got in she had to sort out Taisie who had worked herself into a strop about some geography homework she had. Taisie, being Taisie, managed to turn it into a row about her and Ade splitting up before they were done. Janet ended up having to cuddle her through a stormy fit of tears. She eventually left her with her Gran helping her do the wretched homework and headed for a glass of wine. She worried about Taisie with her strong emotions and tempestuousness. She put up such a front most of the time but she was so easily hurt. Janet poured herself a glass of red, hunted out her phone and sat down at the kitchen table with a sigh. Another missed call from Andy. She was going to have to speak to him sometime. She would have to marshal all her arguments before she did that though, go in with a clear plan. Not tonight.

Another text from Rachel.

Dirty weekend obviously. She's finally fallen for my charms. Cambridge tonight then Bristol. Bet you're jealous! What you up to tonight? Hi to E and T xxx

Janet smiled. Little brat. How could she read her mind from a hundred miles away or more? Rachel could be a wind-up. Janet cradled the phone in her hand while she took another sip of wine and debated what to text back – whether to be good and proper and boring, or whether to try to play Rachel at her own game. She savoured her mouthful while she thought. What could she say to shock Rach a bit, or make her giggle? She would have to pass that message on to the girls as well, that would make their nights. Actually, she decided, it was worth doing that sooner rather than later. It would cheer Taisie up no end. She would have to remember to tell them that Rachel sent them a kiss each too. This sort of thing mattered greatly in the world of texting and what-not, so Janet was informed. She scooped up her glass and headed up the stairs to see her girls, leaving the phone firmly behind. She would have to think of something good to text Rachel back later.

It was only when she was lying in bed that she remembered the text. That awkward time when she knew she ought to be asleep but her brain was still buzzing. Janet reached for her phone beside the bed and re-read Rachel's text, lighting up her room a dim blue. She chuckled. Rach could always be relied on to give her something to smile about – if she wasn't driving her berserk, being rude, stroppy and obnoxious or destroying something, of course. Janet smiled again. Or sometimes even when she was being all those things. She was glad really, to have something to think about, lying here waiting to sleep – something amusing rather than stressful. The bed still felt strange, having it all to herself, even if she did sleep better lately without Ade's snoring. Janet's fingers punched the buttons slowly. When she had finished, she rolled onto her back and stretched out, letting her mind wander.

...

Janet's text woke Rachel up.

Watch out she'll throw u back at first light! U will have to come crawling back to me. U made girls night. Just off to sleep night night x

She read it through bleary eyes, smiled crookedly at the screen and curled up again clutching the phone. She melted back into sleep again with Janet on her mind.

In the morning, Rachel woke with a jump as her alarm blared and buzzed in her hand. She thought about texting Jan back immediately but didn't want to seem like a sad twat, and in no time at all she was stuffing the last of her clothes in her bag as Gill rapped on the door. The sight of her boss put all thoughts of jokey texts out of Rachel's head and she was soon totally focused on running over her interview prep. Her breakfast suffered in the process, not that she cared. She did find a moment to check her phone for any calls from Dom when Gill went to the loo. Nothing. The little sinking in her heart. Setting off old echoes. She had sworn she would never do this again. But... But. He was her brother. Rachel sniffed and deliberately turned her mind to other matters. That was when she remembered Janet. Watching Gill returning through the room to their table reminded her of the obviously perfect retort. Her fingers worked furiously, trying to get the message done before she caught the boss's attention. She almost choked on a suppressed laugh at one bit of it. Too much? She paused, looked at Gill out of the corner of her eye. Sod it. It was only a laugh. She just wished she could see Jan's face.

Ten hours later, Rachel chucked her fag end, hung up the phone on Dom, wiped the tears from her face and headed back into North Avon police station. A tight thread of worry was unwinding itself from around her heart as she walked. Dom was ok. He didn't sound great, she wasn't fooled, but he was alive and not lost and, well... ok. There was still an underlying ache of concern, deep in her gut, but the immediate worry was loosening. Rachel sidetracked into the ladies on her way back to the command room. She frowned at her reflection and splashed some cold water on her face. Not good. What she wanted, of course, was for Janet to walk in. Have a moan, have a whinge, get laughed at or told to get her arse in gear. She didn't want to explain, even to Jan. It was family – she just didn't talk about them, an ingrained attitude from childhood. Janet would get that though, would offer sympathy even without knowing the details. And just to feel her physical presence. A touch, a hug, a kiss. Maybe. Rachel looked at her phone. She could call Jan, but she really ought to be getting back to work. She was on her best behaviour on this trip, on top form, and the case was hotting up, she could feel it. Gill was onto something and Rachel didn't want to miss out. Better get back – she grabbed the phone. Her fingers flew over the keys as she headed out the door. Not too soppy, it could be taken in the same jokey tone as her last few, but it was perfectly honest. Just time to finish the text on her way up the stairs.

...

Sun's up and she still wants me. Must be love. You will just have to live without me for a day or two. Try to not to pine away before I get back and don't let Kevin break any cases x

The first text arrived as Janet was walking into the office. She was comfortably early and Rachel's words made her chuckle. Daft bat that she was. The idea of Gill being in love with Rachel tickled her. The pair of them would kill each other within a week. Unfortunately, being comfortably early this morning meant that Andy was the only other person in. Janet had forgotten that Gill being away for a couple of days meant that Gill wasn't going to be haunting her office already at this time of the morning. Which left Andy and herself alone. Bugger. She had been trying to avoid this.

'Morning.' She made herself sound as breezy as possible. 'Do you want a brew?' Janet headed for the fridge, praying that there wouldn't be any milk or something. Andy followed her, looking serious.

'Janet' he began as she opened the fridge door. There was a full carton of milk. Typical. Just when you didn't want any. She had to head Andy off before he got too deep and meaningful.

'It'll be strange without those two here, won't it? I just had a text from Rach. They seem to be getting on ok.' Janet knew she was babbling, in danger of sounding like a demented housewife. It wasn't dignified. She shut her mouth firmly. Andy didn't answer her so she turned her back on him and busied herself with mugs and that.

'Janet. Can I talk to you?' His voice was soft. She went still. She didn't want to hurt him.

'Yes.' She turned to face him, her face quietly determined. 'But not at work, Andy.' Her eyes softened slightly as she looked at him. He clearly hadn't slept too well.

'Where then? When?'

Janet opened her mouth. They were going to have to get this sorted. And that was the moment that Kevin walked in, his mouth stuffed with bacon butty, waving jauntily at them. Andy sloped away. Janet smiled at the new arrival.

'Morning Kev. Rachel says to watch yourself.' Kevin swallowed an impossibly large lump of food and looked around in puzzlement.

'Where's she at anyway?' Oh Kevin, Janet thought. Always the last to know.

It was a busy day and a strange one. Everyone felt the Boss's absence at the helm. Gill wasn't constantly on their backs but her presence on a case could always be felt, even when she was out of the office or shut away doing paperwork. The team knew they could rely on her meticulousness, look to her for inspiration, trust in her guidance. Andy ran everything correctly and oversaw them all efficiently but it wasn't the same. And Janet missed Rachel. She missed her in interviews, asking pertinent questions. She missed discussing the case with her, seeing her mentally stretching for a conclusion just out of reach - whether it was sheer genius or just plain barmy. She missed her in the office, swapping sarky comments, joking with the lads, nibbling at something. And by nine o'clock that night, she missed her physical presence desperately. God she wanted someone to hold onto. The case wasn't particularly startling – no difficulties working out whodunnit. There was a mountain of evidence against the fella. But it was taxing, trawling through all that evidence to make sure they could prove their case, and be sure of it. Interviewing the suspect and several witnesses so as to draw every last drop of information out of them had left Janet surprisingly drained. She was the last one out of the office, having stayed behind to write up her reports. She was glad of the peace and isolation after a day of being hyper-aware of other people, observing every last nuance of words and tone and body language, and hyper-aware of how she presented herself. The silence of the empty room soothed her. By the time she dropped her pen and shut her papers away Janet was feeling more human. She wouldn't have even minded going for a drink, but only with either Rachel or Gill, so that was a non-starter. She had better just get home, really. Nothing much else to do. Janet stared at the empty chair at the desk opposite her. Where was Rach when you needed someone to get pissed with? Bristol. Probably locked up in an incident room still working like mad. A little lonely feeling crept up in Janet's chest. It was only then that she thought to check her phone. She'd forgotten all about it, coming straight out of interviewing. She wasn't really expecting anything, not having texted Rachel back earlier, but you never knew. Anticipation kicked loneliness for the minute it took her to find the thing. 1 message received.

Wish you were here x

The lonely kicked back. Oh Rachel. There was something up. Sure, it sounded like a joke, the sort of line you wrote on cheesy postcards, after all, but Janet knew her Rachel. She could feel the sincerity behind the wording. Janet stared at her phone until the screen went dark. Perhaps it was just the lack of an exclamation mark that made it seem more serious. It might not have been done on purpose. She could be reading too much into it. But her instincts told her different. She felt a tiny warmth as well, as she hit a random button to make the screen light up again, re-read the four words and a kiss. It was always nice to be wanted. Nice to know that she wasn't the only one missing her best mate. Janet picked herself up and slipped on her coat, animated now. She would give Rachel a ring when she got in the car. Save worrying about being overheard.

Rachel didn't answer. Janet wasn't totally surprised. It was still early, in their world anyway. If the case was hot they could be working till eleven or twelve, easy. Janet cradled the phone, acknowledging the small sadness that had settled in her chest. She would text Rach, she decided. Hope for a phonecall later. It would be nice to hear her voice.

She drove home, wondering what was the reason behind Rachel's message earlier? She couldn't have fallen out with Gill, could she? It seemed unlikely. Maybe it was something to do with the case. Some cases got to you like that. And sometimes there was an obvious reason, but sometimes it took you by surprise. Janet hoped that Rachel hadn't managed to upset anyone from the force that she and Gill were visiting. Rachel might be her best friend, but Janet would be the first one to point out her faults and she knew that she could be hard to work with. She had improved mind you. Janet was actually very proud of Rachel's development over the last couple of years. But if she got an idea into her head, she could still go after it with that bloody-minded single-mindedness – terrier chasing a rat. And she didn't care who she savaged in the process. Still... Rachel had learned some tact and diplomacy in the last while, a little anyway, so hopefully it wasn't that. Janet knew there was no point worrying over it, but she probably would all the same. There were times when it was easier to be honest with herself and whilst driving was one of those times. She was neither here nor there, not Mum or DC, existing in her own private bubble. These were times when she often thought about Rachel, dreamed a little. The motion of the car made more things seem possible. Sometimes she imagined talking to Rach about their closeness, what they did. She wondered where that would take them, let her imagination throw up surprising possibilities. When she stopped, when she arrived somewhere, the dreams always came screeching to a halt. She could never do that. Only in her car, or occasionally lying awake late at night, could she even imagine doing that or believe that any of the other things could happen. They were dreams, intriguing little fantasies. Tonight, as the car practically drove itself through the half-empty roads of Oldham, Janet found her mind unwinding along the familiar dream road. If Rachel called her later, if she said how much she missed her, if Rachel opened up, if she told her she wished she was with her too, if Rachel said something, and she said she wished she could hold her, if Rach...

Janet's phone rang at the very moment she pulled up outside her house.

She's reading my mind again.

Janet was still so shut up in her bubble that it could only be Rachel calling her. She hit the answer button even as she was lifting her mobile and didn't even look at the screen.

'Hi,' her voice was gentle. She felt her stomach do a peculiar somersault when Andy's voice said hello at the other end. His tone was gentle too and he was so obviously pleased to hear her. Guilt twisted her stomach further. The bubble was burst. She was being ridiculous, dolly-daydreaming about Rachel anyway. She wasn't supposed to do that.

'Hello' she replied to Andy, feeling a bit silly but playing for time, waiting for the normal world to reassert itself. It brought with it the little bit of loneliness that had been bothering her earlier.

'Do you want to go for a drink?' Andy sounded hesitant, not pushy at all. He was there. He cared about her. She did owe him an explanation. He was sweet and attractive and patient and calling her now and male and not her best friend and Shut up brain! and she only had to go talk to him, have a drink.

'Yeah,' she said at last. 'A drink would be nice.'

Ok – just my take on the Janet/Andy débâcle, but has anyone else noticed that it's always when Rachel is away that she turns to him...? ;)