It had been a long, stressful and exasperating day. Gill and Rachel had only managed four hours sleep each; it was always difficult sleeping in a strange bed and a strange city. They had travelled to Bristol from Cambridge to 'advise' on the Jeremy Leech case. Years ago this was what Gill did day after day, and she would never forgive that bastard, she was ashamed to admit she was once married to, for leaving her and causing her to resign. She missed it like she would miss breathing, she felt alive, more alive than she had ever felt; it was something that she was good at and she did love it. Gill had worked hard to get where she was; women rarely made high-ranking officers, but Gill had done it, defied all the odds. Her parents told her she would never make it, they didn't approve of her career choice, but thirty years later, she had made a good life for herself.

Rachel had never done anything like this before, and in true Gill style, she showed Rachel who was boss. But Rachel also saw another side to Gill, a side she never knew existed; warm, kind, vulnerable even. The young detective was alarmed by her boss' confession of her true feelings; Gill was very proud, she did not speak about her feelings as she did not want other people to think of her as weak. Being the tough, strong, independent woman she portrayed meant that outsiders knew not to mess with her. Underneath Gill didn't want to be so cold, but it meant she couldn't be hurt again. Rachel didn't know whether to agree with her, hug her or keep quiet. In the end, Rachel decided the latter was probably most appropriate seeing as Gill was a senior officer; and as much as the both hated Dave, she didn't want to speak of a fellow officer, a senior officer, the Detective Superintendent to be precise, in a negative manner. A brief silence was followed by Rachel trying to change the subject as not to allow Gill to wallow in self-pity.

_X_

The following morning a tired Rachel met her boss in the reception of the hotel they were staying at in Bristol. Gill looked like she had had her full eight hours; her make-up could conceal everything. The pair travelled to North Avon Police Station where they met Rick Wallis and Ed Bennett. Ed was a junior detective; like Rachel, whereas Rick was of the same rank as Gill. Thirteen years ago when Gill was working for the NPIA and went to advise on the original Leech case; her and Rick had become good friends. Going into that office now, he knew nothing of her personal situation. From time to time they met briefly, but not to work together properly, not to catch up.

Gill, Rachel and Ed spent the day pulling together case papers and comparing all the murders, of old and of new. Gill and Rachel briefed Rick and they had a result, catching the killer. Gill sat in the office alone as Rachel went outside to make a phone call. Rick entered and stood opposite a vacant Gill.

"Gill…?" Rick called, trying to get her attention and failing. "Gill" he repeated.

"Sorry, miles away, what?" Gill replied, plastering a smile onto her face.

"Are you alright?" he asked concerned.

"Fine, just tired, been a long few days. What did you want anyway?" Gill replied, trying to focus on the current conversation.

"Just wondered if you fancied a drink and a catch up before you go back to Manchester?"

"Sure" she replied standing and taking her coat.

As Gill and Rick approached the exit of North Avon, Rachel was about to re-enter the building.

"Rachel, you get yourself back to the hotel and get your head down; I'll catch you in the morning, there's something I've got to do" Gill told her officer, not wanting to say where she was really going; she would never hear the end of it.

_X_

Gill sat nursing the same glass of red wine for over an hour. Rick knew something was wrong; Gill had never been a lightweight drinker. She stared into the glass, deep in thought. For a while, he sat watching her, trying to figure her out. There was a mask, a front she put on for other people, but he had known her for nearly twenty years, worked with her day in, day out, for months; he was starting to see right through the act.

"What's going on Gill, I know something's up, you've been staring into that glass for ages" Rick spoke suddenly, startling Gill. "Sorry" he spoke softly as she regained her sense of control.

"No, I'm sorry, I haven't been much company have I?" Gill started. "It's just…this job" she broke off, not knowing what to tell him or how to say it.

"What about it?" he replied in his deep, gruff accent.

"I had to resign, three years ago, and I never realised how much I missed until these past few days, just got me thinking that's all" Gill told the man sitting opposite her.

"Why?"

"Dave went off with another woman. I couldn't leave Sammy and go buzzing off all over the place; I had to leave, for his sake" Gill replied teary-eyed.

"I'm so sorry Gill" Rick slid his hand across the table and took hold of Gill's. He gave her a smile that spoke a thousand words. Gill bit back the tears and flashed a smile back before taking a gulp of wine with her one free hand.

"Do you…want to go somewhere else?" Rick asked, looking around the pub at all the youngsters getting drunk. The pair of DCIs looked and felt slightly out of place. Gill nodded and mouthed words of agreement whilst standing and pulling on her long black coat.

Gill followed Rick along the dark streets of Bristol unaware of where she was going or what was going to happen next. They had just missed the traffic lights and a car was approaching in the distance.

"Rick, wait!" Gill shouted as he was about to run out. He grabbed hold of her hand and before she could refuse, they were running across the road, hand in hand, like a pair of teenagers.

"Come on, live a little" Rick teased. They continued to walk for some time, Rick still not letting go of the small, warm hand in his. Gill's shorter legs were unable to keep up with Rick's longer legs; she had to skip every other step.

After some time they reached an alley behind a dimly lit pub. Rick walked into the alley first; looking either way to make sure no one was around. He spun her round and pushed her up against the wet wall.

"He's an absolute idiot Gill" she knew what was coming next. "I've wanted you for such a long time" he confessed seriously, looking deep into her eyes. Gill remained silent, savouring the moment.

Rick leant in slowly, hesitantly, watching Gill's expression. Her eyes had already closed, her head bowing forwards. They were so close; breath mixing with breath, but lips not close enough to touch. He pulled back, but Gill hadn't moved. She wanted this too. He leant in again, going for the kill this time. His eyes closed briefly imagining what he had dreamt of; but he didn't need to imagine, this was real, it was better than he could ever have imagined, and they hadn't even kissed yet.

Realising their lips still hadn't met, Gill opened her eyes.

"Oh come on man, get on with it" Gill said impatiently, grabbing hold of either side of his blazer, pulling him towards her.

Their lips crashed together for the first time. It was clumsy at first, Rick panicked the whole time, not knowing what to do. It wasn't as though he hadn't kissed a woman before, he was married to one. But he had loved Gill for half of his life, and he had never done anything about it, apart from dreaming an impossible dream of them being together. But now she was here, in his arms, her lips between his. It was magical, everything he had dreamed of and more, so magical that he couldn't think. Their kisses were soft and slow and wary at first as the pair got to know each other all over again, but on a far more personal scale. As Rick got braver, he pushed his tongue against Gill's lips, her mouth opening to accommodate.

For a moment they broke apart to reassure themselves, and in their silence, neither had any doubts. Rick's arms snaked around Gill, pushing her harder against the old brick wall, but at the same time, holding her body close to his. Her arms went up and rested over his shoulders as their mouths were pulled together like magnets attracting. This time their kisses were deeper and harder as they needed each other more and more.

The pair were lost in the moment. Then a group of teenage boys walked past, giggling and pointing at them. Gill pulled back, her angry stare telling them to do one or they were for it; she had never been a woman to mess with. The mood was ruined and the moment lost. Rick stepped back, breathing a sigh of disappointment that it was over.

"Hasn't it got cold" Gill changed the subject nonchalant. Rick, ever the gentleman, took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. His arm wrapped around her, 'holding it in place'.

"I'm staying at the hotel just up the road" Gill pointed out, realising where she was.

"Right" Rick replied.

"It's very cold in there too, I don't think the heating's working" she told him seductively.

"Well, if you need something to keep you warm…" he suggested, looking straight ahead, avoiding her gaze.

"It's only a single though" she looked down, disappointed.

"Oh. Well…if we squash up a bit, it'll keep the heat in"

The tension mounted and the two ran up the stairs to Gill's room after entering the hotel, not able to wait a second longer. She ripped his clothes off and lay on the bed behind them.

They were lost in their own little fantasy. But Gill was still seeing Chris. She had a life, a family and a career back in Manchester. Long distance relationships never worked out. But at this present moment, none of that mattered.

_X_

The next morning Gill woke next to her colleague. She was horrified as she looked under the covers, realising what they had done. Her eyes closed in disbelief.

Before she had time to think, Gill was up and dressed and already packing.

"Gill?" Rick called, waking slowly. There was no reply.

"I've got to get going, I've got to pick Rachel up and I want to beat the traffic getting into Manchester" Gill tried to palm him off, refusing to look at him.

"Have I done something wrong?" he asked confused.

"No" Gill eventually met his gaze. "I've got a life in Manchester, a job, a son, a boyfriend" she said indicatively.

"So…it wasn't…me then?"

"No, it was brilliant" she replied with a smile for the first time that morning. "We just can't, it wouldn't work"

"But if you were to come back to Bristol, on another job…" he implied to Gill.

"While the cat's away…"