A/N: Well this is shorter than I would have liked but still... And we are so going to make our goal of 75 by Christmas! This one is the normal for me: romance, no investigations, if you are wanting that kind of thing then look at some of the other amazing writers we have in the archive ;) I don't particularly like the ending for this but it was all I could think of.
Disclaimer: Only own the usernames that I created for them - which will be used again if I ever write another one chatroom based :)
***
RomanceIsntDead has signed in.
ThePerfectCasanova has signed in.
Jackie had been talking to 'ThePerfectCasanova' for just over a month and was starting to fall for him. When they had first started mailing each other they agreed not to make things personal by putting theirs, or anyone else's, names into the conversations. They were both from Glasgow, they were both detectives and both were divorced. They talked so openly with each other that apart from names, adresses and name of their police stations, they knew everything about their correspondent.
ThePerfectCasanova: Hi, how are you today?
RomanceIsntDead: I'm good, tired though. What about you?
ThePerfectCasanova: Same. How were your guys today then?
RomanceIsntDead: Usual irratating selfs. What about your guys and girl?
ThePerfectCasanova: The guys got slightly annoyed with me: I didn't do anything bad, I just might have lost a couple of important files. And my lovely girl was teasing me more than normal cause I've not had a girlfriend in over two weeks.
RomanceIsntDead: I get their point if you're one of the men who have a different girl every evening.
ThePerfectCasanova: ...You know I think we should meet up.
RomanceIsntDead: Are you sure that's a good idea?
ThePerfectCasanova: What if we don't and then we realise that it's meant to be?
RomanceIsntDead: Very good mister. When?
ThePerfectCasanova: How about Wednesday - it's my only free night this week - at that nice little pizza place round the corner from Maryhill Police Station? Know it?
RomanceIsntDead: I know it very well. I go there quite a bit with my guys.
ThePerfectCasanova: Great, half past six sound okay?
RomanceIsntDead: Yeah. Can't wait.
***
On the Wednesday afternoon Robbie started to notice that Jackie was acting very odd, she looked as though she couldn't wait to get away from work and that was startling behaviour from her,
"Jackie, my love, what are you doing tonight then, you look extremely anxious to get away from me?"
Jackie decided it would be easier to tell him the truth,
"Going on a date."
"With a guy?!"
She rolled her eyes, "Yes Robbie."
"Who?"
"Just someone I've been speaking to recently."
"Name?" Robbie couldn't help it if he felt like he needed to know everything about this new man.
"I don't actually know," She winced as she said it, positive that Robbie would have some snide remark to make.
Through laughter Robbie managed to say, "Oh this day just keeps getting better. You met him on the internet didn't you?"
"Well you kept telling me that I should get a social life and put myself on the internet, so I did. Anyway what are you doing tonight?"
"Kind of the exact same as you."
"So you've found a girl on the internet as well?"
"Aye, so what's his username?"
"That's none of your business Robbie!"
"Aww I'll tell you the username of my girl."
She gave into his pleading, brown eyes,
"Fine. Now don't make fun of it. It's 'ThePerfectCasanova'."
"No! No it isn't!" His eyes looked as though they were about to pop out off his skull.
"Robbie what's going on?"
"Please don't tell me you're 'RomanceIsntDead'."
Jackie began to nervously laugh, "How did you find out my username?!"
"This is some horrible trick isn't it?"
"Robbie! Tell me! Now!" She was scared and annoyed at his lack of communication.
"You've watched the new Star Trek movie seven times, you have a secret collection of 80's classic rock posters in your bedroom closet, and you wanted three kids by the time you were thirty-five but things didn't go as planned."
"I haven't told anyone that information, apart from... You can't be him!"
"Well it bloody well seems as though I am."
"But he's the kindest, funniest, loveliest man I have ever spoke to!"
"Well thanks for the compliments...That means that you know that I lost all my innocence to a hooker when I was seventeen!"
"You know that I have a whole romantic comedy DVD collection!" They realised know that they maybe should have asked for names first, and even if they hadn't they should have given less information about themselves.
"That's hardly on the same level."
"Wait, you kept saying that the woman who sat opposite you was the one you have always been in love with but you've been too scared. You never get scared around girls, and oh God I'm the woman opposite you at work!" Jackie backed away from him, eventually going so far back that she hit the wall, while trying to make sense of this.
"Yeah you are."
"You are not in love with me! We're Robbie and Jackie, we just flirt with each other."
"Yeah 'cause that's what you've been telling me on the internet." She may have let slip on several occassions that she was in love with the guy across from her.
"See, this is how you and online you are so different. He wouldn't be so stupidly sarcastic."
"That's because I know that I screwed up every chance of a relationship with you because of my arrogance, and I didn't want to mess it up with someone else I was falling in love with."
She turned and quickly walked out of the office, warm tears running down her cheeks. She heard Robbie's footsteps behind her, she didn't dare turn around to face him but shouted back at him,
"Just leave me alone Robbie. Please let me get out of here."
He went against his first instinct which was to run after her, and stood in the same place, watching her leave. He couldn't even bear going to the pub because he had now lost the two women that he loved even if they were technically the same person.
***
She loved him. It really was that simple. But she didn't want him to find out, especially since she told him over the interent, not knowing it was him on the other end! She could hardly see through her tears as she drove home and when she got in she collapsed on to her sofa and cried into the nearest cushion.
After a few hours of thinking about what to do she gathered up all the courage she had and logged into her laptop, not quite sure of the reasoning behind this action.
RomanceIsntDead has signed in.
ThePerfectCasanova: Knew you'd sign in eventually.
Robbie had been sitting staring at his computer screen for the past two hours, hoping that she would take a peek at her online contact list.
RomanceIsntDead: Hi.
ThePerfectCasanova: Jackie, before this afternoon what did you think of the two versions of me?
RomanceIsntDead: Robbie, dont.
ThePerfectCasanova: Just answer me Jacks.
Jackie took a deep breath and slowly typed the truth,
RomanceIsntDead: I loved both of them: the real you more though.
ThePerfectCasanova: Why?
She couldn't believe that he didn't think that she loved him more.
RomanceIsntDead: Because Robbie, you've been everything to me for years now. You're the one who stands up for me when I get myself into trouble and you don't seem to mind doing it.
ThePerfectCasanova: That's because you never deserve it, you're wonderful. How about we forget about today and try to get back to our normal flirting?
It killed Robbie to ask this question and he was praying that she would say no but instead the next message he received was,
RomanceIsntDead has signed out.
He was confused, the least she could have done would be to say "Okay" or "Fine" but nothing. Not even a goodbye. He didn't even bother to look at the rest of his online friends as he signed off and got himself another drink.
Ten minutes later he heard someone knocking on his front door. He opened it and found Jackie standing there.
"What if we do, and then realise we're meant to be? What happens then, Robbie?"
"I love you Jackie and I can't believe I asked that question; I thought it would be what you wanted."
"How could you think that?! You should know better than anyone, thanks to the wonders of chatrooms that I've been in love with you for far too long Robbie."
He pulled her in from the cold wind and shut the door behind her. She was thankful for the warmth because she had left her jacket on the hook in her hall cupboard. She hadn't particularly thought about what would happen when she had turned up at Robbie's, it was just an impulse she had when he had asked if they should forget about their true feelings.
Jackie put her hands on Robbie's sides, gently grabbing his shirt, as she melted into the arms that were now securly around her body. He lifted her chin with his finger and pressed his lips against hers.
"I can't believe you were going to miss out on this kiss to go out with a complete stranger."
"I wouldn't have chose to meet him but he was so sweet that I couldn't resist. Shame all guys aren't like that," she stared pointedly at him waiting for a reaction to her teasing. He playfully hit her shoulder and kissed her again.
***
In the weeks that followed Robbie and Jackie started to publicise their relationship with the help of Stuart gossiping to everyone he came into contact with. They knew that they would probably be seperated at work after a while, so were making the most of their time together. And unless they annoyed Matt, he would let them go to with each other to wherever they were needed on the cases, as long as they promised not to be too obvious.
ThePerfectCasanova: Hi darling.
RomanceIsntDead: Hey gorgeous. Shouldn't you be doing that lovely mountain of paperwork on your desk?
ThePerfectCasanova: Shouldn't you?
RomanceIsntDead: I've already done it all. Look.
He glanced over and saw that her desk was clear except from a mug and a few pens that had ran out of ink during the writing of the reports. She had a look of triumph on her face and he knew she was trying to make him feel guilty but it was making him more interested in taking her then and there.
RomanceIsntDead: Is it my flat or yours tonight?
ThePerfectCasanova: Yours because I feel like searching for those posters some more!
RomanceIsntDead: You won't find them.
ThePerfectCasanova: Hey, I found out my feelings for you after searching for a while, so posters can't be that hard.
The End.