We (Law & Order: UK)
Title: We
Author: Persiflage_1
Characters/Pairings: Alesha/James friendship
Rating: G
Spoilers: 1.04
Summary: Alesha considers her relationship with James
Disclaimer: ITV owns Law & Order: UK
Author Notes: A little bit of Alesha character study, set in the midst of the events of 'Unsafe'. (The plot bunnies adore that episode!)
Beta: The ever busy fourzoas
~~~~~~
When George gives James the letter and asks Alesha to tell him the rest, she watches James' face anxiously, trying to convey to him without words that she is quite ready and willing to be his friend and advocate at the disciplinary hearing. When he says he'll speak for himself she has to swallow her disappointment: all she's ever wanted, since she joined the CPS, is to help people, and not just the clients, but James as well.
In the time that she's been working with him there's been some mellowing of his manner; when she first arrived he seemed so fierce and angry that she was on tenterhooks every day, fearing that he would direct his anger and ferocity at her if she made a mistake. Gradually, though, she came to realise that his emotions weren't directed at her, but at the injustices and crimes that others suffered. Then, one day about six months after she'd joined the CPS, George had said, out of the blue, "James is a changed man these days." He had peered at her over the top of his glasses, his pen poised over the paperwork she'd brought him to sign. "That's down to you."
"Me?" she had answered, astonished.
He had nodded. "I don't know exactly how you've done it, but your friendship has softened him."
Returning to her office, she anxiously watches James as he gathers his stuff. When she says she'll see him when he gets back, and he says "Don't you mean if?", she's worried that he seems to believe he won't be cleared of this ridiculous charge of Slade's, and she's aware of a growing sense of determination that James' name will be cleared, and that Slade will go back to prison.
Once she finishes work, she goes in search of him, guessing he'll be in one of his usual haunts, and she's relieved when she runs him to earth in the first pub she tries. He's sitting at the bar, and she thinks he might have been there a while; she immediately decides that she's not going to let him sit there all night - one way or another, she'll prise him away.
When he says "What if we dig out Slade's prison records, see if there's anything interesting on them?" she feels her heart almost skip a beat, relief filling her, even as she asks,
"When you say 'we'?" She doesn't quite dare to believe he means what he appears to be saying.
Then he says "I mean 'we'." She can't help giving a little huff of laughter and a grin of delight breaking out on her face at the thought that he wants her help after all.
* * * * * *
Later, after George has been and gone, unnerving Alesha more than she's willing to admit, and they've decided that James will approach Danny Doyle, rather than asking Matt and Ronnie to go, they clear up the empty cartons from their Chinese, and Alesha feels very satisfied with the evening so far.
"Alesha." James' voice breaks her from her reverie as she's thinking of the way he'd said 'Just visiting a friend' earlier, and the warmth in his eyes as well as his voice as he said the words. She looks up from closing her desk drawer, raising a quizzical eyebrow at him.
"I wondered if you'd like to come back to my place for coffee," he says, sounding surprisingly tentative.
"Don't mind if I do, Mr Steel," she says, teasing him by pretending to a formality she doesn't feel.
He smiles, seeming genuinely pleased, and pulls on his jacket, then he steps closer and puts a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you," he says.
"For what?" she asks, surprised by the intensity invested in those two words.
"For being a friend," he says. "For not giving up on me and for not allowing me to wallow in self-pity."
"You're welcome," she answers.
"Let's go."
Back at James' flat - which is surprisingly tidy for a bachelor pad - they sit in the kitchen while he makes coffee. He seems more relaxed as he tips the coffee beans into the grinder and gets out all the necessary paraphernalia needed for the coffee.
Once it's made he suggests they relocate to the sitting room - "Much more comfortable," he says - and Alesha can't help agreeing with him once they're settled on the sofa, the stereo on, but turned low enough that they can talk without having to raise their voices. They talk for a couple of hours, a wide-ranging conversation that's more personal than any previous conversation they've had, mostly because they don't tend to talk about themselves as a rule.
"I should go," Alesha says eventually, hoping she doesn't sound as reluctant as she feels.
"Do you want me to ring for a taxi?" James asks.
She shakes her head. "No, thanks. I'll be okay."
He helps her into her coat, then stands with his hands on her shoulders for a moment. "Thank you for being my friend," he says quietly.
"You're welcome," she answers, then, impulsively, hugs him quickly before opening the front door, leaving James looking startled but pleased by her gesture. "See you soon."
He nods and smiles, then waves a little self-consciously, and she grins and waves back, then heads for her own flat feeling that all's right with the world again.
Author: Persiflage_1
Characters/Pairings: Alesha/James friendship
Rating: G
Spoilers: 1.04
Summary: Alesha considers her relationship with James
Disclaimer: ITV owns Law & Order: UK
Author Notes: A little bit of Alesha character study, set in the midst of the events of 'Unsafe'. (The plot bunnies adore that episode!)
Beta: The ever busy fourzoas
~~~~~~
When George gives James the letter and asks Alesha to tell him the rest, she watches James' face anxiously, trying to convey to him without words that she is quite ready and willing to be his friend and advocate at the disciplinary hearing. When he says he'll speak for himself she has to swallow her disappointment: all she's ever wanted, since she joined the CPS, is to help people, and not just the clients, but James as well.
In the time that she's been working with him there's been some mellowing of his manner; when she first arrived he seemed so fierce and angry that she was on tenterhooks every day, fearing that he would direct his anger and ferocity at her if she made a mistake. Gradually, though, she came to realise that his emotions weren't directed at her, but at the injustices and crimes that others suffered. Then, one day about six months after she'd joined the CPS, George had said, out of the blue, "James is a changed man these days." He had peered at her over the top of his glasses, his pen poised over the paperwork she'd brought him to sign. "That's down to you."
"Me?" she had answered, astonished.
He had nodded. "I don't know exactly how you've done it, but your friendship has softened him."
Returning to her office, she anxiously watches James as he gathers his stuff. When she says she'll see him when he gets back, and he says "Don't you mean if?", she's worried that he seems to believe he won't be cleared of this ridiculous charge of Slade's, and she's aware of a growing sense of determination that James' name will be cleared, and that Slade will go back to prison.
Once she finishes work, she goes in search of him, guessing he'll be in one of his usual haunts, and she's relieved when she runs him to earth in the first pub she tries. He's sitting at the bar, and she thinks he might have been there a while; she immediately decides that she's not going to let him sit there all night - one way or another, she'll prise him away.
When he says "What if we dig out Slade's prison records, see if there's anything interesting on them?" she feels her heart almost skip a beat, relief filling her, even as she asks,
"When you say 'we'?" She doesn't quite dare to believe he means what he appears to be saying.
Then he says "I mean 'we'." She can't help giving a little huff of laughter and a grin of delight breaking out on her face at the thought that he wants her help after all.
* * * * * *
Later, after George has been and gone, unnerving Alesha more than she's willing to admit, and they've decided that James will approach Danny Doyle, rather than asking Matt and Ronnie to go, they clear up the empty cartons from their Chinese, and Alesha feels very satisfied with the evening so far.
"Alesha." James' voice breaks her from her reverie as she's thinking of the way he'd said 'Just visiting a friend' earlier, and the warmth in his eyes as well as his voice as he said the words. She looks up from closing her desk drawer, raising a quizzical eyebrow at him.
"I wondered if you'd like to come back to my place for coffee," he says, sounding surprisingly tentative.
"Don't mind if I do, Mr Steel," she says, teasing him by pretending to a formality she doesn't feel.
He smiles, seeming genuinely pleased, and pulls on his jacket, then he steps closer and puts a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you," he says.
"For what?" she asks, surprised by the intensity invested in those two words.
"For being a friend," he says. "For not giving up on me and for not allowing me to wallow in self-pity."
"You're welcome," she answers.
"Let's go."
Back at James' flat - which is surprisingly tidy for a bachelor pad - they sit in the kitchen while he makes coffee. He seems more relaxed as he tips the coffee beans into the grinder and gets out all the necessary paraphernalia needed for the coffee.
Once it's made he suggests they relocate to the sitting room - "Much more comfortable," he says - and Alesha can't help agreeing with him once they're settled on the sofa, the stereo on, but turned low enough that they can talk without having to raise their voices. They talk for a couple of hours, a wide-ranging conversation that's more personal than any previous conversation they've had, mostly because they don't tend to talk about themselves as a rule.
"I should go," Alesha says eventually, hoping she doesn't sound as reluctant as she feels.
"Do you want me to ring for a taxi?" James asks.
She shakes her head. "No, thanks. I'll be okay."
He helps her into her coat, then stands with his hands on her shoulders for a moment. "Thank you for being my friend," he says quietly.
"You're welcome," she answers, then, impulsively, hugs him quickly before opening the front door, leaving James looking startled but pleased by her gesture. "See you soon."
He nods and smiles, then waves a little self-consciously, and she grins and waves back, then heads for her own flat feeling that all's right with the world again.