So this is my first attempt at a Connie & Jacob fic. It's written mainly for someone else who asked through twitter if I'd consider writing something on these two... So here it is. Not sure how far or where this is going to go yet but thought I'd slowly upload bits and see what you all think. Hope it does them justice, please review with any ideas or ways I could change/improve it. This is just a small start so thank you for reading! (Excuse the awful title (';) Laura x

After 13 hours of walking around the ED things were beginning to take their toll on the clinical lead. She walked past patients, nurses, consultants, more patients until she reached her office and let herself in. Closing the door she shut out the world behind it and for just a few minutes she could paint across the cracks in her life.

She had pretended that things were fine in her life for so long that she was slowly beginning to believe it. Yet there was always something, or someone that reminded her it wasn't. "Mrs Beauchamp? The test results?" Connie looked up and realised she was holding onto a set of test results for her patient who was waiting in resus.

Connie pushed away from the nurses' station and started towards resus as he caught up to her. "Woah, slow down Mrs B-" "Beauchamp. If you can't keep up maybe you should go and find someone else to follow around and bother all day, hmm?" A small smile played at her lips before she continued walking through the doors of resus.

2 hours later and Connie was still working. Rita, Robyn, Jacob and Charlie were standing about when she walked by. "Does she ever go home?" Charlie sighed looking towards Rita "Since Grace left, not really." Rita and Robyn wandered away while Jacob remained where he was. "Hey Charlie, what happened…" he nodded towards the office door where she had just disappeared to. "I-It's complicated Jacob, a lot has happened in the last year that not many people ever have to go through."

Connie was disrupted once again by the knocking on her door. "Come in- Staff Nurse Masters if you're just here to gloat or annoy me with something that I really have no interest in-" "When was the last time you went home?" She moved her eyes up from her paperwork and glared across the desk at him. "Excuse me?" "Don't pretend you don't know what I'm on about. You practically live here, how long's it been today? What about 15 hours so far-" "What I do has nothing to do with you. Just get out and do something useful for a change would you?"

Jacob remained still for a moment before Connie spoke again. "In fact you know what I'll make it easier for you. I'll leave and you can continue moping about pretending you know what's best for everyone else." Connie moved from behind the desk and walked past Jacob without a glance back. He pulled the office door to and headed the opposite direction.

Almost 20 hours in Holby ED and Connie was beginning to regret her choice to stay on all night. She continued treating patient's and helping other people feel better. Somehow it made her feel as though it made up for her not being able to make her own life any better. She had to be here, she was needed here and it gave her a purpose. What else was there is she wasn't here? An empty home reminding her of how much she screwed up her life, yeah spending an evening there seemed like a brilliant idea.

Jacob was coming to the end of his shift. He noticed Connie sitting at a chair by the nurses' station looking at nothing in particular. Wandering towards her he noticed her gaze shift up towards him. "So then Queen B, you must be due a break right about now?" She rolled her eyes before rolling the chair backwards and standing up. "I think we both know that I don't get breaks in this place-" "Why not, what's the point in being boss if you can't at least use it?"

She laughed slightly before picking up a pile of folders and wandering back towards her office. Jacob fell into step beside her causing her to look sideways towards him. "Do you really have nothing better to do?" "What could be better than spending time with you sweet cheeks?" Connie pushed her tongue into her cheek deciding to ignore that.

As they neared the office someone came around the corner and ran straight into Connie causing her to drop all the files across the floor and nearly knocking her off her feet. Beside her Jacob caught hold of her stopping her hitting the floor. Jacob had a hand holding onto her waist and the other on her arm as she glanced up at him. She stood herself up straight before bending down and picking the folders up. "It's fine- It's fine, Jacob. I can pick these up myself." He handed the few he had over to her before standing up.

Connie looked at him once more before turning her back to him and opening the office door. As she turned to close it her eyes fell to his once more. "Go home Jacob. I'll see you on shift tomorrow." The door closed and Jacob dropped his head before walking away and out of the hospital. Connie rest her head back against the door after throwing the folders to the chair that lay opposite her desk.