I can only apologise now. Amy, Lizzie and my late night texting and RP tweeting sesh got a little out of hand, and naturally I had to fanfic it! I have no idea where this is going or when I will update...Please be nice!

Gill and Julie had planned a night out, just the two of them, months ago, but with work and their personal lives, they had just not had time to spend a night in each other's company with a bottle, or several, of wine. But tonight was different. Andy had left MIT, Sammy had announced he was going to be a PCSO and she had just charged Margaret Selwyn with the murder of her husband, Colin. To say she was stressed was an understatement. On leaving the office at just gone 7.00pm, Gill decided to give Julie a ring.

"Hiya slap!" Gill smiled as she spoke, as if Julie were actually there to see her face. "What happened to that night out you promised me?" Julie replied making Gill's smile turn into a chuckle. "Tonight?" Gill asked. "Ok, see you then"

Gill's mood was lifted when she arrived home and changed out of her work clothes. She had her smart jeans, heels and a red top on and had applied another layer of make-up to her face. Gill had decided it was better, safer and probably more legal if she got a cab into town rather than driving.

The club Gill had suggested having never been to herself, was a shabby dive full of Yuppies off of the street. She was not impressed and felt as though she would have to wipe her feet on the way out. Julie made her way to the bar feeling a little lost and out of place. Gill was late as usual. She stood sipping some sort of vile cocktail, but it was taking the edge off of the awkwardness of the whole situation.

"HIYA LOVE" Julie shouted over the blaring music. Half an hour ago she didn't know what songs were playing but decided she didn't like them. Now, however, Julie was singing, badly, and dancing and drinking to whatever played next.

Gill stopped and looked scared. Julie didn't sing. Or dance. Or drink cocktails. "Maybe we should go somewhere a little quieter?" she suggested.

"NO I'M LOVING THIS PLACE" Julie shouted again. The music stopped and everyone turned to stare at the mad woman in the middle of the dance floor shouting in the silent room. Gill wanted to die of embarrassment.

Gill simply walked up to Julie, took the glass from her hand effortlessly and linked her arm to walk her to the door. Gill wasn't quite as sober as a judge after having a few too many glasses at home. Gill's place was closer so she decided to take her back there for the night.

_X_

The pair crashed through Gill's front door noisily to find Sammy asleep on the settee. Julie wasn't going to be sleeping there then! Somehow, with a lot of noise, laughter and hushed words, the old friends reached the top of the stairs.

"There's the spare..." Gill opened the box room door to find Orla, Sammy's girlfriend asleep in the bed. "Room" she finished. She didn't even care to think why neither were in his own room.

"Well we can top and tail?" Gill suggested.

"I never understood top and tail; the bits in the middle are still in the right place!" Julie laughed, obviously working incredibly hard thinking.

_X_

Gill washed and changed and was feeling more sober already. Julie still looked a little worse for wear, but after being pushed into a cold shower by Gill, she too felt slightly more human.

They lay in the double bed in silence, side by side, hands rested on their stomachs, staring up at the ceiling.

"Are you hot?" Julie asked, not knowing whether it was hot or if she was still intoxicated.

"It is hot. 18 degrees tonight!"

"Have we moved? Surely we can't still be in Manchester!" Julie laughed. "Seriously though, it is too hot, there is no way I will be able to sleep in this heat"

"You can take your jumper off if you want" Gill suggested; Julie shot her a horrified look. "We've been friends for twenty years, and I'm sure there's nothing I haven't seen before"

Julie pulled the jumper over her head and let it fall to the floor. The pair were still intoxicated as they lay back down. Gill stretched across to Julie to pull the cover over herself, but half way there she felt the warmth of Julie's body against her. She felt Julie hold her breath.

"Oh, sorry" Gill quickly removed herself looking embarrassed.

"Look, it's ok, really" Julie tried to reassure. Gill struggled with the quilt to get herself out of bed but Julie grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Gill turned and at that moment their faces were centimetres apart.

Outside the house, Kevin Lumb walked up to Gill's front door. He knocked but there was no answer. He stood back and could see Gill's bedroom lamp on and knew she was in. He called her mobile but her phone was downstairs.

As Julie and Gill's intimate situation was taken to another level Gill let out a little scream. Kevin heard and panicked. He called "MA'AM...GILL" but she had not heard him. He panicked more. He looked for an entrance to the house but there wasn't one. He saw the drain pipe by the window. If he could get far enough up it, he would be able to step onto Gill's window ledge and see in. With a deep breath and a step back to psych himself, Kevin ran and jumped up onto the pipe. A little way up and Kevin was tired. It was hot anyway and this sort of exercise Kevin wasn't used to. But he knew he had to keep going; Gill could be hurt or in danger. She treated him like a petulant sulky kid at times, but deep down he had a soft spot for her; she was strong and in control, and he respected her. Never mind the fact that for a forty six year old woman, she still looked pretty good.

Finally he reached the level point with the window and shifted himself across one foot at a time. The curtain was partially closed but open enough for Kevin to see in.

"JESUS BOSS" he screamed making both Gill and Julie jump. They sat bolt upright and tried to pull the covers over themselves.

"KEVIN?" Gill cried in embarrassment and shock.

"I thought you were hurt; I heard you scream" he replied innocently.

"What are you doing here?" Gill began to ask, and as Kevin opened his mouth to answer Gill stopped him "Actually, I don't want to know"

Kevin stared at Gill's exposed chest. His mouth opened slightly as he became fixated.

"Kevin" Gill called again. He lifted his head but couldn't move his eyes. "Care to join us?"