A/N – I haven't wrote anything in ages so I thought I'd have another go. This may take a while to be finished because I'm so busy with med school at the moment but I hope you like it. Again I don't own any of the characters, and please review!
Jackie, Robbie, Matt and Stuart were sitting in the pub one night celebrating the success of their latest arrest. They were chatting as usual when Robbie's phone went off. He checked it and a look of slight surprise and confusion came on to his face.
"Back in a sec." He said and walked towards the door. Jackie glanced after him wondering what had caused this atypical behaviour, normally any phone calls Robbie got were from his girlfriend that week and he'd have no problem answering those at the table.
"Jackie?" Matt said,
"Sorry?" Jackie asked, "What did you say?" She'd been in a world of her own wondering about Robbie's mystery phone call.
"I asked if you'd any plans for the weekend." Stuart said to her,
"Oh, err, no nothing much." Jackie replied,
"You ok?" Stuart asked,
"Yeah, fine" Jackie said but was spared any more questions as Robbie came back,
"I've gotta go," he said picking up his coat a strange expression on his face, "I'll see you tomorrow." He glanced quickly at Jackie when he said that and she looked back, searching his face for any clue of what was going on. She realised that the expression had hints of shock and apprehension in it and this only drove her curiosity further. She was rather distracted for the rest of the night wondering what was going on.
The next morning Jackie was sitting at her desk with a cup of coffee when Robbie came in looking rather dishevelled.
"You ok?" She asked getting up to get him some coffee
"Yeah,"
Robbie replied, "Didn't get a lot of sleep last night."
"Do
I want to know?" Jackie asked handing him a mug.
"You've got a dirty mind Jackie." Robbie grinned,
"I know you," Jackie said dryly, "different girl every week and all that."
"Well no lucky lady last night." Robbie told her,
"You loosing your touch?" Jackie asked enjoying teasing Robbie, "So why the lack of sleep then, you left the pub at like 9 yesterday."
Robbie looked at her for a second as if trying to decide whether to tell her or not, "Jamie's in town."
"Your son?" Jackie couldn't hide her surprise.
"Yeah."
"So why's… I mean what's he… how long's he in town for?" Jackie settled on.
"He's had an argument with his mum, wants to live with me for a while."
"You said yes to that?"
"What else could I say? I mean he's my son, and I hardly ever see him. Besides it might be nice to be his dad for a change."
"So he came last night?" Jackie asked,
"No he's moving his stuff in later," Robbie said and to Jackie's questioning face he replied, "I got no sleep because I was worrying about him coming."
"Why?" Jackie felt a sudden compassion for Robbie, he seemed genuinely upset and concerned making him seem vulnerable. "Robbie, he's your son, it's a good sign that he wants to stay with you and spend more time with you."
"I know, but Jackie what am I going to do with a 16 year old kid living with me?"
"Morning!" Matt's voice startled them both, "we've got another case!" he said and they got their coats.
The next day Matt had sent Robbie and Jackie to quiz a witness and on the way back Jackie asked how the night before had gone.
"Jamie get moved in ok last night?" She asked trying to keep her voice casual as she knew how much Robbie hated deep conversations.
"Yeah, he's all moved in, was a bit surreal to be honest. I mean I haven't seen him in over a year; we just talk on the phone every so often. And now he's living with me."
"So have you talked to him much?"
"Not really, it's all kind of awkward, he's sixteen, what would he want to talk to me about?"
Jackie laughed a little at that, "Robbie you talk like a sixteen year old half the time!" She said, "Take him down the pub and have a talk, ask him about school, girls, his ambitions. And tell him about this job; it's pretty exciting to an outsider, especially a teenage lad."
"You're good with kids." He said
"Jamie's not a kid anymore Robbie."
"Aye, but you know what I mean."
Jackie shrugged, I like children, and I worked with teenagers on the other side of Glasgow before I joined this force."
"So do you want children?" Robbie asked, "just after the whole business with the fertility clinic…"
"I don't know," Jackie said, "I mean with this job it's not exactly practical is it?"
"No," Robbie agreed, "It's not, but it's not impossible!"
Jackie smiled weakly, she remembered how much she'd wanted children, and how with Brian she'd thought it would happen. She turned into the station car park and resolved to forget the whole topic; it was too late for that anyway.
8.30pm that evening and Jackie was sitting at home watching TV. It was a Friday night but she just had nothing to do. The phone rang and she went to answer it
"Hello."
"Jackie" A hushed voice said,
"Robbie?" She asked
"Yeah, listen I'm at the pub with Jamie, but I can't remember anything you said I should ask and we are just sitting in silence."
"Well where is he now?" She asked
"At the table, I'm in the toilets."
"Seriously?" Jackie gave a little giggle at the thought of Robbie phoning her for help with conversation from a pub men's room.
"Jackie!!!" Robbie said exasperated.
"Ok look just ask him about school and about what he wants to do when he finishes."
"Jackie any chance you could come down here, just accidentally bump into us, your way better at this than I am."
"Robbie I don't know, he's your son, I haven't seen him since he was a kid."
"Please, I'll be in you debt forever."
"Ok, which pub are you in?"
After what seemed like an age of sitting attempting small talk with Jamie Robbie was relived to see Jackie walk into the door. She ignored them to start with, went up to the bar and ordered a drink, and then she turned and appeared to walk over to sit at the table next to them,
"Jackie?!" Robbie called to her, "what are you doing here?"
"Hi ya Robbie." She walked over and smiled, "I'm meeting a friend for drinks, what about you?"
"Just hear with my son." He nodded to Jamie who politely smiled
"So you're Jamie then." Jackie said to him, "nice to meet you." She held out her hand which Jackie shook surprised as he was. "I'm a colleague of your dad's."
"Nice to meet you," He said
"So Jamie are you planning to go back to school for your highers when the summers over?" Jackie asked,
"Yeah, I want to go to one over here though, my mum wants me to start applying to university and keep going to private school but it's not what I want."
"Really?" Robbie asked, "You want to go to school round here?"
"Yeah was thinking about it, is that ok?"
"Well yeah, I just didn't know you were thinking that long term about living with me."
"If it's a problem I can…"
"It's not." Robbie interrupted him, "I just want to know what you're planning." Robbie smiled at his son. After a moment he seemed to remember Jackie and said to her,
"Do you want to join us? Until your friend arrives of course, if that's ok with you Jamie?"
"Yeah sure." Jamie said, his eyes darting between Robbie and Jackie.
"Err, I'd love to," Jackie replied and sat down at the table.
A few drinks later they were all sat discussing the police force when Jamie said,
"I want to be a detective when I finish school."
Robbie looked round in surprise, "really?"
"Yeah, why not?" Jamie said, a little defensively
"No, that's great; I'm just surprised that's all." Robbie said
Seeing that Jamie looked a little doubtful at Robbie's support of his ambitions said, "Maybe we could arrange for you to get some work experience at the station."
"Could you do that"? Jamie asked at once forgetting his annoyance.
"I don't see why not, they have work experience students sometimes, some forms to fill in and checks to be made but we should be able to sort it, shouldn't we Robbie?"
"Yeah," Robbie said jumping in, "I'll have a word on Monday morning see if I can get you some."
"Thanks dad." Jamie grinned
Once a few hours had passed by they decided to go home, Jackie said goodbye and soon after she left too. Robbie drove Jamie home and they were chatting when Jamie said,
"I'm on to you."
Robbie looked over confused, "what do you mean?"
"I know you got Jackie to meet us on purpose."
"What?" Robbie asked but his insides went cold, he didn't want Jamie to know that he'd asked Jackie to come along to help the conversation work. "What makes you say that?"
"Come off it dad, it's obvious you're seeing her!"
"What?" Robbie asked genuinely confused,
"Well come on, the way you guys look at each other gives it all away. You just wanted me to meet her!"
"I have no idea what you are talking about." Robbie said,
"Ok." Jamie replied smiling as if he didn't believe a word of it.
Robbie thought over Jamie's observation as he lay in bed that night… he and Jackie, together, impossible. But why did Jamie say that he could see it in the way they looked at each other, and more importantly why had Robbie's heart jumped when he had seen her walk through the door tonight, just because she'd come to save the conversation from dying or something else?