He doesn't sleep well after the Phoenix case. He doesn't deal well with the silence of the small hours at all.

Sometimes, if James listens really hard, he can hear the flames crackling again, can hear Lewis' worried shout. He can see himself fighting against Lewis' grip, trying to run back into the house. That's what scares him most, the knowledge that, had it not been for Robbie Lewis, he'd have died trying to save his would-be murderer. Although technically, he'd have been dead already, because without Lewis turning up, he'd never have made it out of the house.

If his flat is quiet, and his mind is in the right (or wrong) kind of place, he can hear Zoe talking. He can hear the words she said to him, the words she thought would be the last thing he would hear. The accusations stab at him, and sorrow fills him at her story, just as it had when the event had been occurring. The Firebird Suite will be there, a backdrop to the memories, and he knows then, that sleep is fruitless.

After one too many all nighters, maybe the second or third in a row, Lewis takes him aside, buys him a coffee, and tells him in the kind way that he has, that he looks like shit. And James doesn't know whether its the lack of sleep, the caffeine he's probably overdosed on, or just the concerned look in his mentor's eyes. But it all comes pouring out. Lewis doesn't suggest counselling, because he knows James too well. Just an invitation to kip in his spare room, and a reminder that James can talk to him, and should, if he needs to.

Two weeks later, he's staying overnight at Lewis' again. Its been a tough case, and James just knows that he's not going to sleep tonight. He tries anyway, for Lewis' sake, because he knows the older man will stay up to keep him company if he suspects James isn't going to sleep. He goes through the charade of changing into pyjamas, brushing his teeth and settling into the spare bed. He bids his mentor goodnight, flicks off the light, and waits for the sounds to worm their way into the silence.

He must have managed to sleep for a while, because he wakes up in tears, with the remnants of a fiery dream still present in the back of his mind

The light flicks on, and Lewis shuffles in, blinking in the lamplight.

"James? Y'right lad?"

"Y-Yeah. Sorry, didn't mean to wake you up."

"It's fine." A pause, and then Robbie hands him a box, wrapped in paper, that James hadn't even noticed Robbie was holding.

"Sir?"

"It was gonna be for your birthday, but...well seems like you could do with it now kidda." James just looks at him confused, before hesitantly taking the box, and unwrapping it.

The box proclaims that its a pillow speaker. James wishes he wasn't so knackered, so he could properly understand what that means. Luckily, Robbie takes pity on him.

"You plug that little wire there, into your i-whatsit, choose what you want to listen to, and stick the whole thing into your pillowcase. It acts like a speaker, without you needing to sleep with headphones. And I thought, its portable. For when you sleep here. Or anywhere"

"I...thank you." It occurs to James that his birthday isn't for another three months. Robbie had really thought about what to get him, and got it ready in plenty of time.

"No problem." He coughs. "I just thought, it'd keep the silence at bay, lad" There's a lump in James' throat, and its nothing to do with memories of smoke and fire.

"Thank you. This is...I think this will be perfect."

"Ah well, I'll leave you to test it out kidda. Sleep well James."

"Good night Robbie, thanks again." Robbie waves a hand in acknowledgement and shuffles back to his room.

He sets the speaker up; the box says that there are no batteries included, but Robbie has clearly thought of that, as the little on light blinks blue straight away.

James selects some instrumental music, that he often uses to calm himself after a hard day. It doesn't take long for him to fall asleep at all, and even though he doesn't know it at the time, he sleeps through the night.

When Robbie comes down in the morning, he smiles at the sight. James is fast asleep, curled into an impossibly ball. He'll leave the lad to sleep for now. Robbie has seen the state he's been in these last weeks, and it'll do the boy good to get some proper rest.

Robbie doesn't think for a minute that his gift will solve all of James' problems, the man really should be talking to someone professional.

But he hopes that at least now, James will be able to get some rest.