The Doctor and The Professor REVISED EDITION

Chapter 1

Her phone dancing around her dining table woke her with a start. She had fallen asleep working again. Lily Atherton the workaholic; amongst other things. Gingerly she lifted her head and worked the kinks from her neck and patted down the table in the attempt to find her phone. As her hand found its mark it stopped. Sighing she looked at the fallout of last night's project. Various pictures of crime scenes, lab tests, an empty pizza box and three empty cups. Running a hand through her mussed black hair she went to the kitchen to get something to wake her up.

Lily balanced her phone between her shoulder and ear as she opened the fridge. Mentally chastising herself for having nothing but out of date milk, one sausage and some orange juice she waited for an answer. Favouring the juice over the dodgy looking milk she took a swig straight from the carton. Hell she was the only one who drank it. Wiping her mouth she set it on the counter for later.

"Mason."

"Hey it's me."

"Lily sorry. We got a call to attend."

Lily's shoulders slumped. She was officially on leave. Well as officially as she could be still pouring over case notes until the early hours.

"Let Carswell handle it. He's been itching to try and show us up!"

Charlotte Mason. Her second in command her right hand woman/ girl Friday. They had been working together for 5 years and were in tune with each other. It was almost like they shared the same brain. Charlotte was a little younger than her at 25. Her love life was better than any soap opera. She was invaluable. Not that Lily told her.... Well not too often.

"Tried that already. It's come from you know who."

The you know who in question was Detective Inspector Roland Green. The thorn in many aside including his own band of merry little men. He was a force to be reckoned with and woe betide you vexed him. You would take your indiscretion to the grave and beyond. He was a good man and got the job done, but silly things like being on leave and or dead made no difference to him.

"Crap! What we got?" she breathed exhausted.

"Warehouse on the edge of town. They are knocking down to make way for more of the expensive god awful boxes they call flats. They found.... Look get dressed I'll be over in 30 minutes and I can give you the proper low down then."

"Ok but I am going to need tea!"

"I know English Breakfast right?"

"You're a lifesaver. Oh Charlotte?"

"Yep?"

"You better make that 45 minutes."

Lily stood in her bedroom doorway and scanned her room. The wardrobe door was open and contained nothing. Her drawers seemed to be just as empty. She disconnected the call and set about finding something to wear.

"Seriously?" Charlotte gasped.

"What?" Lily asked shocked.

"I can't believe in 45 minutes that's all you could find to wear."

"I know. It was all I had that was clean."

"He will chew you up and spit you out!"

"Well let's hope he chokes." Lily said with a wry grin getting into their van to retrieve some bits.

Charlotte laughed to herself as she heard cursing and banging coming from inside. Eventually a flustered Lily emerged with her trusty metal case and torches.

"It's a mess in there." Lily said straightening the man's white shirt she had teamed with a black belt and yoga pants.

"I believe you were the last in there!" Charlotte grinned.