At 8 am the next morning June dragged herself through the back entrance to Sun Hill. She wasn�t due in until 9 am, but as she hadn�t been able to sleep all night, she decided that it was probably best just to get up and get on with things. It was so strange not having him there beside her, having him hold her through the night in that same familiar fashion which she had never fully appreciated until now. Today was going to be so hard she knew, having to work with him, to see him, to want him, but at the same time to know that that was it, there was no more. She breathed deeply and walked down the corridor to the canteen, caffeine was in much need if she wanted to get through the day. A wave of relief came over her as she observed that the canteen was practically deserted. She really wasn�t up to meaningless conversations today, and to a greater extent she feared the inevitable expectations of others that Jim would be there with her, well, they had been joined at the hip, even before going public.
Moving to the hatch she took her coffee and gave the canteen assistant a polite smile. Then, out of the corner of her eye she saw someone right in the corner. �Frank Burnside?� she questioned to herself, turning to get a better look.
Frank looked up and smiled, beckoning her over to him.
She moved over to him, a million questions going through her mind. Did Jim know he was here? Yes, of course, he was bound to. Does Frank know what�s happened? Is he going to bring it up? Can I actually get through this without breaking down�?
�Pull yourself together June� she ordered herself sharply.
She greeted him with a beaming smile. �Hello Sir, this is a surprise. What brings you here? Does Jim know that you are here? I am sure that he will be pleased to see you!�
�Jim, yeah, we had a catch up yesterday after he got back from yours.�
�Ahh, so you know all about it I take it?�
�Yeah,� answered Frank giving a sympathetic smile. �I am so sorry that it didn�t work out, I always thought that you and Jim would make a great couple. His happiness means a lot to me you know.�
�Yeah, likewise, that�s why we just had to finish it. I just couldn�t give him what he wanted at the end of the day, and it would have ended up with him getting depressed, and who knows, starting drinking again.�
�I see, we are getting somewhere now,� said Frank sipping at his coffee and a nervous June imitating him. �So, this is what it is all about. I should have guessed really. I know where you are coming from, really I do June. I have been trying to get in touch with Jim for a while now and when I couldn�t get in touch with him, I was worried about what had happened, if he had got back on the booze or something.�
�I told him that I wanted to be with him, whether he was drinking or not, and I meant it, I really did. But I just couldn�t live with myself being the cause of his drinking. It wouldn�t be fair on him.�
�But does Jim see it that way? Have you really explained this to him?�
�Not really. Look�� June was struggling for words. �Its just, its for the best. I don�t expect you to understand that, or Jim, but it is.�
Frank gave a half nod. �Yeah, talking of Jim, I am meant to be meeting him here any second now.�
As much as June tried to hide the panic that rushed through her, it was plainly visible for him to see in her face.
�It will be ok you know. Jim�s a good bloke, he will try and make things as easy as possible for you.�
�Yeah, I know,� smiled June. It was nice to have someone with her who knew him like she did. Tony just couldn�t understand why she loved Jim. He just didn�t know the Jim she knew. The boy she had puppy walked, that laugh of his, when he really got going you just couldn�t help but laugh yourself. Lost in her thoughts and tears welling up in her eyes she jumped to see Jim approaching their table.
�Hey Jim, was beginning to wonder if you had stood me up.�
�Sorry, I had forgotten how long it takes to get here from my place.� He eyed June nervously who looked up and gave him a reassuring smile.
�June, hi, how are you doing?�
�Pretty much the same as you I guess. I had better get going, I had come in early to get some work and that got sidetracked.� She said, gesturing towards Frank. �I am sure that you two have a lot to catch up on, so I will leave you to it.�
As hard as he tried not to, Jim couldn�t help but watch June as she exited the room. He looked up to see Frank�s increasingly concerned gaze looking at him.
�You ok kid?�
�Yeah, I will be, honest.�
�Good. Listen, I know that you have got a lot on, but I really need to run this case past you now if that�s ok, so you are up to speed when I debrief the others in a bit.�
�No, that�s fine, it will be great to work with you again for a bit.�
Jim leaned back in his chair ready for the debrief, Frank happily noting that the old familiar smile of Jim�s was creeping over his face once more. Now, that�s what he had come back to see!
�Ok, as I said we are investigating a case of illegal immigrants, except it gets more complicated than that. These immigrants pay between ?1,000 - ?5,000 each just to get into the country. They are piled into confined conditions, with little air. Many have been found on the side of the road dead. Those who do make it are understood to be taken to factories and forced to work in standards, well, you just wouldn�t believe. Any women which are brought over are forced into prostitution. Oh, its unbelievable stuff. I know there is a lot of debates over immigrants and stuff, but no one deserves to be treated like that.�
�Absolutely not,� replied Jim, looking shocked. �So how do you know this?�
�We picked one of them up. He had somehow escaped the factory where they work, live, everything really. Eventually we got out of him what has been happening. He was in such a state though. We aren�t sure whereabouts this factory is, but from the information he has managed to give us, and general intelligence we have pinpointed Sun Hill as the most likely location.�
�Shocking to think something like that is happening on your doorstep. So, what is the next step?�
�Well, we are going to set up an observation, which is where the Sun Hill relief come in. I am going to be coordinating that, and need some assistance from someone with good local knowledge, which is your role! I had all this planned out before coming!�
�Sounds good to me.� Jim�s grin was slowly increasing across his face. He just hadn�t realized until now how much he had missed Frank. If only he could have had June at the same time, then� well, no point on dwelling on the past.�
Frank rose quickly, downing the remainder of his coffee at the same time.
�I have just got to go and get some papers from your Super, so see you in the debriefing room in a minute?�
�Sure.�
Jim watched Frank walk out the room and then had a sudden panic. He really should explain to June what was happening. He didn�t want her taking his absence from CSU the wrong way. Walking quickly out of the canteen he walked briskly down the corridor and up the stairs. He tore into the office, banging straight into� oh; it just had to happen didn�t it.
�June, I am sorry, I was in a bit of a rush.� He bent down to pick up her papers that had scattered all over the floor. June joined him on the floor, grasping at the papers, desperate to avoid his gaze. She knew what an effect that had on her. No, too late. They were staring in each other�s eyes.
June rose quickly, taking from Jim the rest of the papers she had been carrying. �Thanks,� she muttered, all too aware of the tears which were forming behind her eyes.
�I was just coming to find you actually June.�
�Oh.�
�Yeah, I didn�t want you to hear from anyone else first. Frank�s running an investigation into some illegal immigrants and he has asked me to help him coordinate it. Local knowledge and all that, and give us a chance to work together, like old times. I have said yes anyway. I think that it would be good if I wasn�t working in CSU for the next few days, not because I don�t want to see you, but, well, I think it will be easier for us to cope if I did. Please don�t take this the wrong way.�
�No, no, of course not Jim. You�re right, no doubt you would have done this even if we hadn�t of sp�, split up, it will be nice for you to see Frank. I know that you have missed him since he had gone.�
Jim gave a thankful smile and instinctively went to squeeze her hand, but then stopped himself. He couldn�t do that now.
�I had better get going now anyway June. Its time for the debriefing with uniform.�
�Ok, will I see you later?�
�Yeah, I will pop in later and check you are ok.�
�Thanks Jim, I don�t think I could cope if we stopped seeing each other altogether.�
�Likewise, that�s why its not going to happen.�
June watched Jim�s retreating form as he bounded down the steps to his meeting. He was excited she could tell, pleased to be working with the man he had idolized for so long. She was just so relieved that he seemed to be doing ok. Much better than she was doing.
�Time to get on with things now June,� she instructing herself, turned walked back into the office, shutting the door firmly behind her.
TO BE CONTINUED�!