Fanfic #2. As a Gill/Julie shipper, not sure where this one came from... Thanks to the lovely people supporting me as I take my first steps into this amazing establishment. Enjoy!

'Everyone get down the pub, now. If you're not there in 5, you're buying your own drinks.'

There was a resounding cheer in the office of Syndicate 9 as Gill shouted a rare offer from her office that nobody was going to turn down.

The case had been a long one, with few advances until right at the end. The review team had come in as well, which only made things worse. Gill knew that a drink and a good laugh was what they needed after they'd wrapped everything up so she'd decided to treat them all.

Once everyone was sat down with their drink, she looked round the table and wondered what she ever did to be so lucky as to work with this bunch of superb coppers, superb people. Yes, she even valued Kevin. She wouldn't like to admit it but he did brighten up her day with his stupidity.

Rachel caught her eye and gave her a smile, slightly unsure at first but after Gill had smiled back, it was more fixed. Despite what Rachel might think, Gill really did like her and she knew what an excellent copper she would be one day if she kept going. She'd often think of Rachel as a younger version of herself – bright, driven and instinctive.

'Y'alright, boss?' Rachel asked and Gill realised that she'd not averted her eyes from her young detective.

'Yeah... sure. I was just thinking.' Gill pulled herself together and took a swig from her wineglass as a slightly confused Rachel turned back to Janet to carry on their conversation.

'Aw, Janet, come on. You know you want tooooooo!'

Quite a few glasses later and Rachel was more than a bit tipsy, trying to get Janet to join her for a song on the karaoke machine. Janet, on the other hand, being the responsible one, hadn't drunk much and wasn't up for making a fool out of herself.

'Nope. Nobody here wants their eardrums broken!' Janet joked.

'Shut up, Jan! You are a wonderful singer!' Mitch decided to join Rachel in trying to get Janet to sing.

'And how would you know? You've never heard me sing.'

'No, I haven't, but I've heard Taisie sing and she can sing beaufitully. She must get it from somewhere,' said Mitch, the beer having taken effect on him.

'Beaufitully? Since when was that a word? But, no, she doesn't get it from me.' Janet knew that if she denied Rachel for long enough, her friend would give up on her.

'Pweeeeez, Janet, my bestestest friend in the whole wide world?' Rachel had resorted to puppy dog eyes and pleading. This made Janet laugh.

'I'm very sorry, Rachel Bailey, but it's going to have to be a no,' she said as she patted Rachel's cheek.

Gill had watched this interaction between her officers and giggled, slightly louder than she'd intended. That was probably due to the large amounts of alcohol she'd consumed.

'Gill!' Rachel had a new target now.

'What do you want?' Gill decided to play along.

'Would you do me the honour, nay, the privilege, of singing a song with me?' She'd gone all posh under the influence of the alcohol, but was playing it up.

'I fear, my good sire, that my answer is a no.' Gill was loving this, but she didn't really know what she was doing, to be honest, because of how drunk she was.

'Well, then,' continued Rachel, getting up and bowing down in front of Gill, offering her hand, 'at least you could dance with me.' Rachel had a twinkle in her eye as 'Saturday Night' by Whigfield started. 'I'll teach you the dance.' She looked at Gill with such an expression that Gill couldn't resist. She took Rachel's hand as her young detective led her to dance.

'I know the dance! How old do you think I am?' Gill joked.

After other classic party tracks including the Macarena and Walking On Sunshine, Gill started to walk back to the table when Rachel took hold of her arm and asked her to stay for one more song. She sounded very sincere and at that moment, Gill thought Rachel really was extremely beautiful.

The music changed to 'How 'Bout Us' by Champagne. What's the worst that could happen, thought Gill. She moved back towards Rachel, who held her closer and more gently. It felt right. She knew that she was drunk. She knew that Rachel was drunk. But that didn't matter, because she realised that she felt something more than friendship for her. She relaxed into Rachel's hold.

Rachel sensed this change in atmosphere. She pulled back and looked Gill right in the eye, trying to look for something, not that she was sure what she was looking for. She took her boss' hand and led her out to the back of the pub, sneaking lest anyone saw them. When they got outside, she looked at Gill, who was looking back at her with a slightly shocked expression.

'Rachel, what are you doing?' She knew the answer, but wanted to break the silence.

'I'm not really sure. I think I might fancy you,' Rachel said slowly. Gill just stared at her for a while.

'Sorry, boss. I think it's just-'

'No, it's fine.' She put her arms around Rachel's shoulders. Rachel responded by slipping her arms around Gill's thin waist before leaning down and placing a soft kiss on her boss' lips. Gill's inhibitions had packed up and gone home a lot earlier in the evening and she found herself deepening the kiss. Soon enough, they were making out like teenagers.

'Bloody hell!'

Janet had seen Rachel and Gill go outside and had decided that she should give them a few minutes before going to see what they were up to. She'd poked her head round the back door of the pub, expecting them to be having a natter together, but the scene she was now faced with was completely different.

They'd jumped apart at Janet's exclamation, both turning a deep shade of pink. There was an awkward silence while they struggled to think of something to say. They didn't have to – Janet knew what to do.

'Before you say anything, I didn't see this.' She pointed at her two friends with a smile on her face. 'And I think that it's about bloody time too!'

Rachel and Gill looked at each other, confused.

'Seriously?' Janet was surprised. 'The sexual tension between you two has always been so obvious!'

'Um... Thanks?' Gill was more than embarrassed at this situation.

'Look, I'll leave you to it, now. Have fun, girlies!' Janet teased as she went back into the pub.

'Wanna come back to mine?' Gill asked seductively.

'Do you even have to ask?' Rachel looked at her lustfully.

They'd hardly got through the front door before they were at each other's clothes and by the time they were in Gill's bedroom, all that remained was underwear.

Rachel's phone screeched at her, waking her up. She had to have a loud and annoying alarm otherwise she'd never get up. She turned it off and then realised that she wasn't in her own bed... and she didn't have any clothes on.

'Shit,' she swore at herself for having another one night stand before remembering what happened and who's house she was in.

'Double shit.' She found some of her clothes thrown across the floor and chucked them on, walking into the en suite as she did. She spotted the piece of paper stuck to the mirror, pulled it off and unfolded it.

Rachel,

Had to go into work early. Help yourself to breakfast and whatever else you need. Aspirin are in the cupboard next to the fridge. If you feel anything like I do, you're going to need some! There's a spare front door key in the bowl next to the microwave – could you lock up.

Thanks,

Gill x

Well, today was going to be awkward.

Rachel got into work more than a bit late after popping back to her house to have a shower and get changed. Janet smirked at her as she sat down at her desk.

'So?'

'So what?' Rachel answered.

'Last night?' Janet looked at her eagerly. Rachel opened her mouth to start speaking but she heard Gill call her from her office, so she got up, sure that Gill was going to give her a bollocking for being late.

'Shut the door behind you.' Gill took her glasses off to look at Rachel, who did as she was told and then went to sit opposite Gill.

'Um, sorry I'm late, boss,' Rachel said quietly.

'Hey, it's no problem.' Gill smiled softly. 'About last night, though...'

'If you don't want to do anything about it, then-'

'Oi, I was going to say something nice, if you'd let me finish!' Gill interrupted.

'Sorry,' Rachel said quietly.

'If you're ok with it, I think we could make this work. I really like you, Rachel and it would mean a lot if we did this.'

Rachel grinned like a madwoman as she nodded fervently.

They smiled at each other for ages then Janet knocked on the office door and entered, spotting the grins, even though Gill had tried to resume her professional persona as quickly as possible.

'Hello, lovebirds,' she said, shutting the door behind her.

'Janet, shush!' Gill smiled again as she attempted to hush Janet.

'So?' said Janet.

'Yes, ok then. It's official.' Janet's jaw dropped at what Gill had said, but she was still smiling.

'But this is top-secret, so no blabbing, Janet Scott of Scotland Yard.' Rachel looked at her friend with her eyebrows raised, to make sure she understood.

'Yes, of course. My lips are sealed.'

'What did you want, anyway?' asked Gill.

'Huh?' Janet was still processing the fact that her two best friends were an item.

'There must have been a reason to come and see me other than to find out about my personal life.'

'Oh, yeah. Stephenson's solicitor wants to talk to you. He wants to admit to murdering Sian Addison. Stephenson, not the solicitor!'

'Fabulous. Right, go on you two, get on with some work. I'll just sort myself out.' Gill ushered her detectives out of her office, gently slapping Rachel's backside as she went. Rachel turned back around to look Gill right in the eye. She spoke in hushed tones with a smirk.

'I'm so getting you back for that tonight.'

'I look forward to it,' replied Gill, with a raised eyebrow.